Ethnic Identity as a Moderator of Psychosocial Risk and Adolescent Alcohol and Marijuana Use: Concurrent and Longitudinal Analyses (From The Etiology and Prevention of Drug Abuse Among Minority Youth, P 21-47, 1997, Gilbert J. Botvin, Steven Schinke, eds. - See NCJ-166518)

• NCJ Number: 166520
• Author(s): L M Scheier; G J Botvin; T Diaz; M Ifill-Williams
• Date Published: 1997
• Length: 27 pages
• Grant Number(s): P50DA-7656; R29-DA08909-0
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Sale Source: Haworth Press, Inc
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: DCC

Annotation

This article analyzes studies of risk and protective factors for early-stage drug use among adolescents.

Abstract

Using data from a sample of minority control students participating in a longitudinal school-based drug prevention trial, this article examines the role of ethnic identity as it moderates the relations between several domains of psychosocial risk and alcohol and marijuana risk. A risk-factor methodology was used to construct additive risk indices that reflected key domains of a psychosocial model of deviant behavior. Results of cross-sectional analyses indicated that ethnic identity moderated the effects of alcohol-related expectancies, knowledge, and social skills for alcohol use, whereas ethnic identity moderated the effects of social influences, competence, and social skills for marijuana use. Results of longitudinal analyses found that ethnic identity moderated the effects of social skills on alcohol use and in some instances uniquely predicted both alcohol and marijuana use, controlling for risk. The article discusses findings in terms of the formative role of cultural factors as they shape vulnerability to adolescent alcohol and drug use. Tables, figures, endnote, references