title: The Role of Gender in Adolescents' Social Networks and Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug Use: A Systematic Review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite previous research indicating an adolescents' alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use is dependent upon their sex and the sex composition of their social network, few social network studies consider sex differences and network sex composition as a determinant of adolescents' ATOD use behavior.
  
  
  METHODS
  This systematic literature review examining how social network analytic studies examine adolescent ATOD use behavior is guided by the following research questions: (1) How do studies conceptualize sex and network sex composition? (2) What types of network affiliations are employed to characterize adolescent networks? (3) What is the methodological quality of included studies? After searching several electronic databases (PsycINFO, EBSCO, and Communication Abstract) and applying our inclusion/exclusion criteria, 48 studies were included in the review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, few studies considered sex composition of networks in which adolescents are embedded as a determinant that influences adolescent ATOD use. Although included studies all exhibited high methodological quality, the majority only used friendship networks to characterize adolescent social networks and subsequently failed to capture the influence of other network types, such as romantic networks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  School-based prevention programs could be strengthened by (1) selecting and targeting peer leaders based on sex, and (2) leveraging other types of social networks beyond simply friendships.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, 4243 TAMU, 316 Blocker, College Station, TX 77843-4243.. wurajacobs@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Wura
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, 4243 TAMU, Blocker 322-C, College Station, TX 77843-4243; Director, CEHD Writing Initiative (P.O.W.E.R.), Texas A&M University, 4243 TAMU, Blocker 322-C, College Station, TX 77843-4243.. pgoodson@hlkn.tamu.edu.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Goodson
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, 4243 TAMU, Blocker 314-C, College Station, TX 77843-4243.. aebarry@hlkn.tamu.edu.
authors.forename: Adam E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Barry
authors.affiliation: Social and Behavioral Health, Texas A&M School of Rural Public Health, Room 137B, 1266 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-1266.. kmcleroy@srph.tamhsc.edu.
authors.forename: Kenneth R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: McLeroy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D060756:Social Networking; D012944:Social Support; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000066608:Underage Drinking
keywords: adolescent; social network analysis; substance use