title: Brief Intervention for Truant Youth Sexual Risk Behavior and Alcohol Use: A Parallel Process Growth Model Analysis.
abstract: Truant youths represent a challenging, yet very promising group of at-risk youth to study. In addition to problems in school, they frequently experience troubled family situations, emotional/ psychological problems, involvement in substance use, and delinquency. Given the problems often experienced by truant youth, it is likely they are engaging in alcohol use and sexual risk behavior at a higher rate, than the general youth population. Identification of these youths' problems and early placement into effective intervention services would benefit them, their families, and society. The current study presents interim findings from an ongoing, NIDA-funded experimental, Brief Intervention (BI) study involving truant youths and their parent/guardians. Baseline, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month follow up data were analyzed to determine whether alcohol use and sexual risk behaviors were longitudinally related, examine the effects of the intervention on longitudinal alcohol use and sexual risk behaviors, identify latent subgroups of youths in the data for alcohol use and sexual risk behaviors, and determine whether the intervention influenced these subgroups. Results indicated alcohol use and sexual risk were longitudinally related. Subgroups of youth were also identified based on alcohol use and sexual risk behavior levels and trends. Further, limited treatment effects were observed for alcohol use. Implications of the results for future research and service delivery are considered.
authors.affiliation: University of South Florida.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dembo
authors.affiliation: University of South Florida.
authors.forename: Rhissa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Briones-Robinson
authors.affiliation: University of South Florida.
authors.forename: Rocio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ungaro
authors.affiliation: University of South Florida.
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.affiliation: University of Southern Mississippi.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gulledge
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota (Also affiliated with Treatment Research Institute).
authors.forename: Ken C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Winters
authors.affiliation: Temple University (Also affiliated with Treatment Research Institute).
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Belenko
authors.affiliation: Mediation Program, 13 Judicial Circuit.
authors.forename: Lora M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Karas
authors.affiliation: Wayne State University.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wareham
keywords: Truancy; alcohol use; growth model; latent class analysis; sexual risk