Prospective study of the association between neurobehavior disinhibition and peer environment on illegal drug use in boys and girls.
BACKGROUND
Individual and contextual factors jointly participate in the onset and progression of substance abuse; however, the pattern of their relationship in males and females has not been systematically studied.


OBJECTIVE
Male and female children and adolescents were compared to determine the relative influence of individual susceptibility (neurobehavior disinhibition or ND) and social environment (deviancy in peers) on use of illegal drugs.


METHODS
Boys (N = 380) and girls (N = 127) were prospectively tracked from age 10-12 to age 16 to delineate the role of ND and peer deviancy on use of illegal drugs.


RESULTS
Girls exhibited lower ND scores than boys in childhood and were less inclined to affiliate with deviant peers. These differences were reduced or disappeared by mid-adolescence. In boys only, peer deviancy in childhood mediated the association between ND and illegal drug use at age 16. In both genders, peer deviancy in mid-adolescence mediated ND and substance abuse at age 16.


CONCLUSIONS
Individual and contextual risk factors promoting substance abuse are more salient at a younger age in boys compared to girls.


CONCLUSIONS
These results point to the need for earlier screening and intervention for boys.
Kirisci
Levent
L
School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA. levent@pitt.edu
Mezzich
Ada C
AC
Reynolds
Maureen
M
Tarter
Ralph E
RE
Aytaclar
Sema
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*
D013287:Illicit Drugs