Social influence predictors of alcohol use among New York Latino youth

Drug Use among Puerto Ricans: Ethnic Identity as a Protective Factor

This study assesses the relationship of multiple drug risks, Puerto Rican identity, and drug use. In addition, the risk/protective and protective/protective paradigms for examining interactive effects of ethnic identity and drug risks on drug use were assessed. Structured interviews were conducted with 555 Puerto Rican males andfemales whose mean age was 19. Each risk and two ethnic variables were related to drug use. Regressions showed that cultural knowledge, being culturally active, group attachment, and identification with Puerto Ricans offset the impact of risks on drug use. Ethnic variables also enhanced the protective effect of other protective factors. These results substantiate expanding risk-buffering models to include ethnic identity and the protective role of ethnic identity for Puerto Rican youth.

Feelings of regret following uncommitted sexual encounters in Canadian university students

In this study we explored the prevalence of regret following uncommitted sexual encounters (i.e., casual sex that occurs with someone once and only once or with someone known for less than 24 hours) among 138 female and 62 male Canadian university students, who were approximately 21 years of age. The majority of participants self-reported that they had experienced feelings of regret after an uncommitted sexual encounter. We found women reported feeling significantly more regret than men. However, men's regret was more closely tied to physical attributes than women's regrets. Regret was also influenced by the quality of the sex: high-quality sex rarely led to regret, while the reverse was true for poor-quality sex. In keeping with past studies, intoxication by alcohol and/or drugs was often listed as a source of regret by both men and women.

Risk/protective factors associated with substance use among runaway/homeless youth utilizing emergency shelter services nationwide

Rates of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use among runaway/homeless youth are substantially higher than found among American high school students. To understand the risk and protective factors associated with substance use, this study (1) assessed cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana use among a national sample of runaway/homeless youth, (2) identified risk/protective factors associated with lifetime substance use, and (3) examined risk/protective factors associated with six month frequency of substance use. Unduplicated cases (n = 11,841) from the 1997 Runaway/ Homeless Youth Management Information System (RHY MIS) were analyzed. Results showed that substance use levels are greater than previously reported for this population. Predictors of cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana use and frequency were predominately individual youth risk factors and demographics rather than family risk factors. Providers in emergency youth shelters are in a prime position to assess substance use behaviors, as well as the associated risk factors. Provision of appropriate screening and referral to other services is essential to meet the needs of these youth.

Adolescent alcohol initiation: a review of psychosocial risk factors

Longitudinal research studies focused on alcohol use initiation in adolescence were reviewed to determine which variables function as antecedent predictors or risk factors. Only studies that focused on time-1 abstainers were included. Classes of risk factors examined include sociodemographic, family, peer, personality, and behavioral variables. The most consistent antecedent risk factors for starting to drink in adolescence were parental and peer approval and models for drinking and drug use as well as adolescents' own prior involvement in delinquent behavior. There was little evidence for gender differences in risk factors for alcohol use initiation. Secondary analyses of existing longitudinal data sets are encouraged to examine whether there are ethnic/racial differences in the risk factors for starting to drink and to establish those factors that serve a protective or buffering function, delaying onset of alcohol use in adolescence.

How universal are social influences to drink and problem behaviors for alcohol use? A test comparing urban African-American and Caribbean-American adolescents

The purpose of this study is to test specifically which social influences and which problem behaviors predict drinking among a sample of African-American and Caribbean-American black adolescents residing in New York City. A total of 3212 African-American or Caribbean-American seventh graders completed questionnaires assessing their alcohol use, demographic characteristics, social influences to drink, and other behavioral measures. Logistic regression analyses examined predictors for the overall black sample and separately for each of the two black groups. The predictors of alcohol initiation were virtually identical for both groups (father's drinking, siblings' drinking, friends' drinking, peer drinking, and smoking) with the exception of marijuana use. Although there were some common predictors of alcohol consumption for the two groups (siblings' drinking, friends' drinking, and smoking), some factors only influenced alcohol consumption for African-Americans (father's drinking and marijuana use) and others only did so for Caribbean-Americans (deviance and absenteeism). These findings highlight the importance of examining the etiology of alcohol use for different black groups.

Adolescent drug use in Mexico and among Mexican American adolescents in the United States: environmental influences and individual characteristics

The authors compared high school students in Baja California Norte (BCN), Mexico (n = 775), with Mexican American students in Los Angeles (LA), California (n = 516). The students' use of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, inhalants, and other illicit drugs were compared, because these vary by gender, country, and their age of first drug use and are influenced by demographic variables, individual characteristics, and environmental influences. More BCN students than LA students had used alcohol, but more LA than BCN students had used illicit drugs and initiated drug use earlier. When demographic variables were influential, they were most powerful and increased the risk for drug use more than environmental factors or individual characteristics. Environmental factors were most influential for boys' drug use, whereas environmental and demographic variables were most influential for girls' drug use.

Drinking perceptions and drinking behaviors among urban black adolescents

PURPOSE

To improve understanding of black (African American and Haitian Blacks) adolescents' drinking behaviors and sexual patterns that put them at risk for human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) to determine whether specific cultural differences affect beliefs and behaviors about alcohol use.

METHODS

The study used ethnographic interviewing to provide information about the alcohol norms, beliefs, context, and behavior of African-American and Haitian adolescents. Ethnographic open-ended interviews were conducted with 314 students: 116 African American adolescents (50 boys and 66 girls) and 198 Haitian adolescents (93 boys and 105 girls) in inner-city public high schools.

RESULTS

The majority of adolescents had drunk alcohol, and African-American boys and Haitian boys and girls were most likely to report general drinking experience. Both ethnic groups distinguished between negative and positive nonnormative behaviors resulting from drinking beyond and within the boundary of one's limits. African-American boys in particular described not drinking beyond the boundary, to maintain control of their actions. Drinking within the boundary and feeling "relaxed" was endorsed by African American youths, as it was by Haitian youths who felt "normal" and/or viewed drinking certain alcoholic beverages as normative and culturally sanctioned.

CONCLUSION

The study suggests there are cultural differences in the constructs of the meaning of drink and drinking that may influence alcohol use. Understanding these differences will improve efforts to impact the drinking behaviors of adolescents by recognizing the drinking socialization, normative drinking patterns, and culturally sanctioned drinking behaviors that may influence alcohol use in different ethnic groups.

A Qualitative Investigation of Alcohol Drinking among Male High School Students from Three Communities in the Cape Peninsula, South Africa

This article reports on a qualitative study using focus group discussions about alcohol binge drinking with tenth grade male high-school students. Groups were run separately with binge drinking and non-binge drinking adolescents in three different communities. The Theory of Planned Behaviour with two additional constructs was used to provide a theoretical framework for the semi-structured discussions and for the analysis of the data. Although the findings are complex some clear differences did emerge between binge drinkers and non-binge drinkers and between participants from the three different communities. The binge drinkers perceived positive outcomes from binge drinking, were embedded within a peer group culture of binge drinking, and found few obstacles of obtaining alcohol. The non-binge drinkers were more concerned with longer term life goals and were motivated to comply with family pressures not to drink excessively. The implications of these findings for preventive programs and for future research are discussed.