Alcohol use among black youths in a rural community

Perceived Family Environment of Black Adolescent Alcohol Users and Nonusers

The purpose of this study was to examine Black American adolescents' substance use (alcohol) and their perceptions of their family environments. Eighty-six participants between ages 12 and 19 from a large mid-Atlantic medical facility who reported exposure to alcohol use were asked to complete Moos' Family Environment Scale (FES). The participants were divided into users and nonusers. Users were described as those who drank at least once a week and used at least medium amounts per occasion. Nonusers were defined as those who did not drink or used less than once a year. Substance users were hypothesized to perceive family environment less favorably than nonusers. A t-test was conducted to compare means of groups on each subscale of the FES. The independent variable was alcohol use (yes/no). Dependent variables were the scores on the FES subscales. Analyses of the data indicated that users and nonusers differed significantly (p<.05) on five of the ten subscales, specifically Cohesion, Conflict, Achievement, Intellectual, and Moral Religious Emphasis.

Alcohol Use among Hispanic Adolescents: A Preliminary Report

This study reports on the use of alcohol by a group of Hispanic seventhand eighth-grade junior high school students in the city of Los Angeles. The randomly selected sample included 54 males and 53 females, ranging in age from 13 to 16. Subjects responded to a self-administered questionnaire concerning demographic issues, social characteristics, and family composition as well as alcohol consumption, school performance, and a number of other behaviors. Findings of the study suggest definite patterns to alcohol consumption, sex-based differentials, and strong links between the use of alcohol and marijuana among Hispanic adolescents.

Alcoholism Prevention and Black Youth

This paper examines forces internal and external to the black community which must be considered in developing alcoholism prevention strategies targeted to the needs of black youth. Norms and values which foster abusive drinking and a lack of awareness of the destructive impact of alcoholism are viewed as major internal forces, while the use of alcohol as a tool of oppression and racism is seen as the major external force which must be addressed. A call is made for the development of comprehensive, community-based efforts which emphasize primary intervention, mobilization of the major black institutions and involvement of black youth in planning and implementing alcoholism prevention measures.