There is a growing body of knowledge regarding general population risk factors for drug use and abuse. However, despite the fact that ethic minorities appear to suffer disproportionately from the adverse consequences of drug and alcohol abuse, little is known about the roles that ethnicity plays in the etiology of drug use and abuse. As a result, prevention efforts have had to assume that the risk factors identified for the general population are relevant for these subpopulations. If risk factors differ across ethnic groups, such prevention efforts are likely to be misplaced. The proposed research will provide comparative information on the etiology and patterns of drug use among black, Asian, and white urban youth using data from two prospective longitudinal studies of youth; one a panel of elementary school children, the other a panel of middle school children. The study will identify risk factors for drug use/abuse, including those that are identifiable in the early school years, and will compare these factors across ethnic groups. The study will determine whether these factors predict later drug use, investigate the relative importance of risk factors at different developmental levels, and investigate the nature of the relationship between drug use and delinquency within each ethnic group. In addition, data will be obtained from parents and children concerning prevention strategies that are most likely to be well received by members of different ethnic groups. The ultimate goal of the proposed research is to combine this information with the information concerning ethnic specific risk factors to provide an empirical basis for prevention efforts aimed at specific ethnic groups. The study has the following advantages: It utilizes existing data from prospective longitudinal studies of normal populations of youth which include adequate samples of black, Asian and white for comparison; the data contain information on use of a variety of substances and come from multiple sources (youth, parents, teachers); and the study addresses both initiation and continued use of drugs, because it utilizes data from both the early school years and the high risk years of early adolescence.
| Catalano, R F; Hawkins, J D; Krenz, C et al. (1993) Using research to guide culturally appropriate drug abuse prevention. J Consult Clin Psychol 61:804-11 |
| Catalano, R F; Morrison, D M; Wells, E A et al. (1992) Ethnic differences in family factors related to early drug initiation. J Stud Alcohol 53:208-17 |
| Wells, E A; Morrison, D M; Gillmore, M R et al. (1992) Race differences in antisocial behaviors and attitudes and early initiation of substance use. J Drug Educ 22:115-30 |
| Gillmore, M R; Catalano, R F; Morrison, D M et al. (1990) Racial differences in acceptability and availability of drugs and early initiation of substance use. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 16:185-206 |
