title: Self-reported adolescent behavioral adjustment: effects of prenatal cocaine exposure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the direct effects of prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) on adolescent internalizing, externalizing, and attention problems, controlling for confounding drug and environmental factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  At 12 and 15 years of age, 371 adolescents (189 PCE and 182 noncocaine exposed), primarily African-American and of low socioeconomic status, participating in a longitudinal, prospective study from birth were assessed for behavioral adjustment using the Youth Self-Report.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Longitudinal mixed model analyses indicated that PCE was associated with greater externalizing behavioral problems at ages 12 and 15 years and more attention problems at age 15, after controlling for confounders. PCE effects were not found for internalizing behaviors. PCE adolescents in adoptive/foster care reported more externalizing and attention problems than PCE adolescents in biological mother/relative care at age 12 or noncocaine-exposed adolescents at both ages. No PCE by gender interaction was found. Prenatal marijuana exposure, home environment, parental attachment and monitoring, family conflict, and violence exposure were also significant predictors of adolescent behavioral adjustment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PCE is a risk factor for poor behavioral adjustment in adolescence.
authors.affiliation: Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. Electronic address: meeyoung.min@case.edu.
authors.forename: Meeyoung O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Min
authors.affiliation: Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Minnes
authors.affiliation: Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Elizabeth J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Short
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio; Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio; Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Lynn T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Singer
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D054541:Family Conflict; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011295:Prenatal Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D057566:Self Report; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States
keywords: Adolescents; Attention; Behavior; Prenatal cocaine