title: Racial/ethnic differences in the etiology of alcohol use among urban adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined relations between neighborhood context, home and family management practices, deviant peer affiliations, beliefs favorable to use, and alcohol use among urban African American and Hispanic adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample comprised 4,027 African American and Hispanic adolescents who were 50% boys and 75% low income. Participants completed surveys in 2002-2005 and 2008-2009. Structural equation modeling assessed direct and indirect relations between neighborhood context in 6th grade, home and family management practices in 7th grade, deviant peer affiliations and beliefs favorable to use in 8th grade, and alcohol use in 12th grade.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was significant variation in structural models across race/ethnicity but not gender. Differences included the influence of neighborhood and school strength and, where similarities existed, differences in effect magnitude. Similarities included significant correlations among measurement components; the indirect influence of alcohol advertisement exposure, gender, area deprivation, and home alcohol access on alcohol use; direct influence of deviant peer affiliations and beliefs favorable to use on alcohol use; and indirect effects highlighting the importance of preventing home alcohol access, deviant peer affiliations, and beliefs favorable to use and promoting protective family management practices.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neighborhood and school strength may be particularly important in preventing alcohol use among African Americans, whereas preventing early onset of alcohol use among Hispanics remains important. Preventive efforts may wish to focus on neighborhood deprivation, exposure to alcohol advertisements, and home risks and protective factors because they have direct and indirect effects on intrapersonal factors and alcohol use.
authors: University of Florida, College of Medicine, Department of Health Outcomes and Policy and Institute for Child Health Policy, Gainesville, Florida 32610-0177, USA. amytobler@ufl.edu
authors: Amy L
authors: AL
authors: Tobler
authors: Melvin D
authors: MD
authors: Livingston
authors: Kelli A
authors: KA
authors: Komro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D041923:Adolescent Development; D000329:Advertising; D001741:Black or African American; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D002657:Child Development; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011203:Poverty; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D014504:Urban Health / Q000208:ethnology