title: Contextual stress and health risk behaviors among African American adolescents.
abstract: This study examined the longitudinal association between contextual stress and health risk behaviors and the role of protective factors in a community epidemiologically-defined sample of urban African American adolescents (N = 500; 46.4% female). Structural equation modeling was used to create a latent variable measuring contextual stress (community violence, neighborhood disorder, and experiences with racial discrimination). Contextual stress in 8th grade was associated with aggressive behavior and substance use 2 years later for boys. For girls, contextual stress predicted later substance use, but not aggressive behavior. High academic competence and self-worth reduced the impact of contextual stress on substance use for boys. Implications for intervention and directions for future research on health risk behaviors among African American adolescents are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 200 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. nlinder1@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Nikeea
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Copeland-Linder
authors.forename: Sharon F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: Yi-Fu
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Nicholas S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Ialongo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012309:Risk-Taking; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000208:ethnology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000208:ethnology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014754:Violence / Q000208:ethnology