Epidemiology of Substance Use Among Middle School Students: The Impact of School, Familial, Community and Individual Risk Factors

• NCJ Number: 178353
• Journal: Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: 1998 Pages: 55-75
• Author(s): A. I. Abdelrahman; Gloria Rodriquez; John A. Ryan; John F. French; Donald Weinbaum
• Date Published: 1998
• Length: 21 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the correlates of substance use among New Jersey middle school students, using a representative sample.

Abstract

The study used an epidemiological perspective in which an individual's risk of using cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs is predicted to increase in relation to the amount of vulnerability and/or risk an individual faces. Results support the multiple effects of community, school, family, individual, peer, and background factors on substance use. Further, results show that family history of substance abuse treatment was a strong and consistent predictor of current substance use. Abilities of families to institute clear rules against alcohol and drug use had stronger inhibiting effects on substance use than did characteristics of family structure or family conflict. Academic failure and peer use of substances show the strongest and largest effects on current substance use. There were no observed gender differences in smoking or alcohol use, but gender differences in drug use persisted when all the risk factors for substance use differed by the type of substance being used. 1 figure, 4 tables, and 44 references