Effect of Neighborhood Context on the Drug Use of American Indian Youth of the Southwest

• NCJ Number: 221461
• Journal: Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse Volume: 6 Issue: 2 Dated: 2007 Pages: 181-204
• Author(s): Scott T. Yabiku Ph.D.; Andrea Dixon Rayle Ph.D.; Scott K. Okamoto Ph.D.; Flavio F. Marsiglia Ph.D.; Stephen Kulis Ph.D.
• Date Published: 2007
• Length: 24 pages
• Grant Number(s): R-24 DA 13937-01; R01 DA05629
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Using data from a large-scale drug prevention effectiveness trial, this study examined the neighborhood effects on the drug use of American Indian youth of the Southwest.

Abstract

Results of the study indicate that American Indian youth were not as adversely affected by these neighborhood factors. American Indian youth may possess cultural characteristics that protect them from the adverse effects of neighborhood disorganization, including close familial relationships and ethnic pride. The results contribute to the knowledge of resiliency and protective factors that exist among American Indian youth in the Southwest in regard to neighborhood drug use behaviors. The findings also inform drug prevention programs for these youth, particularly in their incorporation of neighborhood and school contexts that place these youth at risk for drug use. Drug use is one of the major issues facing American Indian populations, including American Indian youth. This study examined neighborhood effects on the drug use of American Indian youth of the Southwest. It compared these effects with non-American Indian youth, in order to examine the universality of neighborhood disorganization as a risk factor for youth drug use. It also explored the role that cultural resiliency might play in protecting youth from adverse outcomes associated with neighborhood disorganization. Tables, references