title: THE RELATIONSHIP OF EMERGING ADULTHOOD TRAJECTORIES TO DRUG USE, AND OTHER CORRELATES.
abstract: Interest in "Emerging Adulthood" (EA) as a unique developmental period has increased. This study examined the heterogeneity of EA among at-risk youth (N=1,677) by identifying trajectories of development across individuals. First, an 8-item version of the Inventory of Dimensions of EA (IDEA) measure was tested for factorial invariance across three time points; the 5-item EA measure was found to be factorially invariant. Next, latent class growth modeling identified three unique developmental trajectories. Lastly, classes were compared on demographics and health-risk behaviors. Class 1 represented a large, low-risk class (highest on EA). Classes 2 and 3 were comparably sized (~5% of the sample). Class 2 appears to be a high-risk class that decreases in EA, while Class 3 appears to be a medium-risk class that increases in EA. This study confirms that not everyone experiences EA similarly and that continuation high school students do not circumvent EA (move directly to adulthood).
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine, University of California, USA.
authors.forename: Nadra E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Lisha
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC, USA.
authors.forename: Adam M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Leventhal
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC, USA.
authors.forename: Luanne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rohrbach
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC, USA.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Spruijt-Metz
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC, USA.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC, USA.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sussman
keywords: at-risk youth; emerging adulthood; latent class analysis; substance use