Drug use by adolescents remains a significant health and social problem. The prevalence of experimental drug use among female adolescents currently equals in some cases, surpasses, that among male adolescents. Outcome research has shown that psychosocial-based drug abuse prevention programs can be, and generally are, efficacious. In the school setting, most prevention programs are taught in mixed gender classes. Research is inconclusive with regard to whether or not these programs have differential effects by gender. Although psychosocial-based programs already address many of the risk factors that influence drug use among adolescent females, at the same time there is a need to more fully address some of the risk factors that most affect females. Current unisex approaches may be neglecting the primary issues of females. Thus, female-specific drug abuse prevention programs may be warranted. The primary objectives of the proposed research are to (1) investigate gender differences in interpersonal/social, cultural/environmental and intrapersonal factors related to drug abuse among low-income youth, (2) investigate drug use antecedents that may exist for females apart from males; and (3) use this information to develop and field-test prototype gender-specific, school-based prevention program components. In Year 1, a cross-sectional survey will be administered to seventh grade youth in urban public schools that serve a large number of low-income youth. In Year 2, components of existing psychosocial-based prevention programs will be tailored to female adolescents, and new components will be developed and field-tested in middle schools, using """"""""theme,"""""""" feasibility, and focus group studies. The long-term goal of the proposed research is to develop a school-based, female-specific drug abuse prevention approach that will be ready to be efficacy-tested in a future study.
