Compensatory and risk factors for substance use in African American youth

Background: Substance use among youth must be understood within a cultural context for populations such as African American youth. Research has not elucidated which factors are the most predictive of substance use and attitudes toward substance use among African American adolescents; nor has it examined how factors interact and create vulnerability or protective mechanisms for attitudes toward substances and substance involvement. This study‘s purpose is to examine the influence of risk and compensatory factors (i.e. racial attitudes, school connectedness, family connectedness, conflict resolution style, and risky peer association) on substance use and attitudes toward substance use; and to examine the effect of racial attitudes on risky peer association as it relates to substance use and attitudes toward substance use. Methods: Participants of this study were 49 African American adolescents, ages 12-16. The measures used in this study were the (1) Tennessee Alcohol and Drug Prevention Outcome Longitudinal Evaluation (TADPOLE) Substance Attitude and Behavior Survey; (2) Stephan Rosenfield Racial Attitude Scale; (3) Banks Self- Esteem Scale; (4) Peer Association Scale; (5) Anger Style Inventory. Results: Results indicate that conflict resolution skills t (40) = 2.815, p = .01, risky peer association t (40) = 2.21, p = .03, and the interaction between racial attitudes and risky peer association t (40) = 2.40, p= .02 contributed to substance involvement. School connectedness t (41) = -2.45 p = .02 was a significant predictor of favorable attitudes toward substance use. Conclusions: Findings have implications for the prevention of substance use among African American adolescents.