Adolescent alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use: the influence of neighborhood disorder and hope.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate relationships between adolescents' current alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use; perceptions of neighborhood disorder; and sense of hope.


METHODS
Questionnaires were administered to a nonrandom sample of middle school students during the spring of 1999.


METHODS
The ethnically and geographically diverse sample (n = 369), from a range of low socioeconomic status backgrounds, was considered to be at high risk for alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use because of previous enrollment in low socioeconomic status elementary schools.


METHODS
Alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use were dichotomized into current and never/no use. Six variables described neighborhood social disorder. Sense of hope was assessed using the Children's Hope Scale.


RESULTS
Statistically significant relationships were found between perceived neighborhood disorder and current alcohol (p = .01), tobacco (p = .001), and marijuana (p < .001) use. A statistically significant and independent relationship was found between sense of hope and current alcohol (p = .02), tobacco (p = .02), and marijuana (p = .06) use. Results indicated linear trends in participants' increased use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana and (1) perception of higher neighborhood disorder and (2) lower sense of hope.


CONCLUSIONS
Substance use prevention programs for youth might usefully be directed not only to adolescents but also to the neighborhoods in which they live. Additionally, it would be important to emphasize creating safer neighborhood environments that support the development of a stronger sense of hope for the future.
Wilson
Nance
N
Developmental Studies Center, Oakland, California, USA.
Syme
S Leonard
SL
Boyce
W Thomas
WT
Battistich
Victor A
VA
Selvin
Steve
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D012935:Social Justice; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*