title: Investigating ethnic differences in adolescent alcohol use and peer norms using semi-continuous latent growth models.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether ethnic differences in vulnerability to peer norms supportive of alcohol use is a viable, partial explanation for the ethnic differences in reported prevalence and amount of alcohol use during high school.
  
  
  METHODS
  Survey data from a sample of 680 adolescents from Project STAR (Students Taught Awareness and Resistance) of the Midwestern Prevention Project were used. Hypotheses were tested using sequential, semi-continuous growth curve models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Relative to Black adolescents, White adolescents reported greater peer alcohol use during middle school and were much more likely to consume alcohol during high school. General peer norms in seventh grade and middle school growth in alcohol use norms among close friends was predictive of a greater propensity to consume alcohol in ninth grade among White adolescents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lower peer norms for alcohol use among Black adolescents might better account for differences between Black and White adolescents than the possibility that White adolescents are more vulnerable to peer norms.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health, Georgia State University, PO Box 3995, Atlanta, GA 30302-3995, USA. srweaver@gsu.edu
authors.forename: Scott R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Weaver
authors.forename: Jeewon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cheong
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: MacKinnon
authors.forename: Mary Ann
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pentz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D001741:Black or African American; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003625:Data Collection; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students; D044465:White People