NCJ Number
226828
Journal
Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: January-March 2009 Pages: 54-69
Date Published
March 2009
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study examined ethnic differences linked to beliefs about substance use and assessed their impact on the frequency of use of various substances among a sample of 1,398 Caucasian and African-American rural secondary school students.
Abstract
After controlling for the effects of grade and sex, Caucasian students perceived greater harm from daily cigarette use, trying marijuana once or twice, using marijuana regularly, and perceiving marijuana use as more wrong compared to the views of African-American students. African-American students, however, perceived tobacco use as being more “wrong” (not more harmful) compared to Caucasian students. No significant racial differences were found for beliefs about any of the other variables. After controlling for sex and grade type, results showed the Caucasian students reported significantly higher rates of tobacco, alcohol, and inhalant use than did African-American students. There were no significant racial differences for the frequency of marijuana, cocaine, hallucinogen, and ecstasy use. The only substance for which adolescents differed racially on both use and cognitive perspectives of “wrongness” was tobacco use. Study participants were 1,398 Caucasian and African-American students in all public middle and high schools in a rural county that was participating in a larger study. Only the Caucasian and African-American students were selected for the current analyses. Eighty percent of the sample identified as Caucasian (n=1,112); and 20 percent identified as African-American (n=286). Students were questioned on their beliefs about the wrongness of various frequencies of use of tobacco, marijuana, and alcohol. They were also asked about their personal use of these substances. 3 tables and 35 references