Racial/ethnic differences in the protective effects of self-management skills on adolescent substance use.
A variety of cognitive and behavioral self-management skills have been posited as protective in terms of adolescent substance use. This study examined whether these skills measured in the 7th grade served a protective function in 9th grade substance use across ethnically diverse samples of adolescents. Participants consisted of Black (n = 461) and Hispanic (n = 320) urban youth and White suburban youth (n = 757). Structural equation modeling indicated that a second order Self-Management Skills latent factor consisting of first order latent factors of Decision-Making, Self-Regulation, and Self-Reinforcement skills was protective for adolescent substance use across racial/ethnic subgroups. However, Self-Management Skills were more strongly protective for suburban White youth and less protective for urban minority youth. These findings are consistent with previous research showing that predictive power of risk and protective factors derived from psychosocial theories varies widely across racial/ethnic subgroups of youth and is weaker among racial/ethnic minority youth compared to White youth. An important next step is to broaden the focus of etiology research from individual-level determinants to studying adolescent substance use behavior in the context of the cultural background and primary social settings of young people, such as family, school, and community environments.
Griffin
Kenneth W
KW
Division of Prevention and Health Behavior, Department of Public Health, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10021, USA. kgriffin@med.cornell.edu
Botvin
Gilbert J
GJ
Scheier
Lawrence M
LM
D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D044383:Black People / Q000523:psychology*; D003657:Decision Making; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D009518:New York; D009519:New York City; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D012931:Social Environment; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D013383:Suburban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*; D001741:Black or African American