Developmental Trajectories of Alcohol Use Among Monoracial and Biracial Black Adolescents and Adults

Abstract

Objective The present study investigates developmental trajectories of alcohol use from early adolescence to adulthood by age and race/ethnicity among White, Black, Black-American Indian, Black-Hispanic, and Black-White individuals and associated sociodemograhphic correlates. Method We used a subsample of nationally representative data obtained from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). The analytic sample consisted of 15,278 individuals in Wave 1 (ages 11 to 21 years). The sample consists of adolescents who were in Grades 7 – 12 at wave one and who were followed across four waves of data collection into adulthood. Respondents could report more than one race/ethnicity. Results We find distinct alcohol trajectories among monoracial and biracial/ethnic Blacks with all groups showing a cross-over or catch-up effect. Black-White adults demonstrated a cross-over effect by surpassing the alcohol drinking rates of Whites in adulthood, Black-American Indians showed a within-group catch-up effect by surpassing the alcohol drinking rates of monoracial and biracial/ethnic Blacks in adulthood, and monoracial Blacks were most likely to be nondrinkers in adulthood. We also show gender, socioeconomic status, and household structure differences in impact on alcohol use among monoracial and biracial/ethnic Blacks. Conclusions Significant heterogeneity is observed regarding alcohol trajectories between monoracial and biracial/ethnic Blacks.

Modeling substance use in emerging adult gay, bisexual, and other YMSM across time: The P18 cohort study

“…Third, prior research has indicated that substance use peaks when adolescents/young adults reach the 20s (Chen and Jacobson, 2012), and thus there are likely further fluctuations in substance use as YMSM continue to age. In addition, we note that the existing data show the potential for crossover effects of racial/ethnic differences in substance use levels (Chen and Jacobson, 2012; Clark et al, 2013; Finlay et al, 2012). Thus, the trajectories noted here should not be extrapolated beyond the 18 months of follow-up analyzed.…”

“…Conversely, Black YMSM demonstrated the lowest trajectories of alcohol use. Data from Add Health has indicated greater levels of alcohol use among White youth (Chen and Jacobson, 2012; Clark et al, 2013; Dermody et al, 2014), and prior data from New York City has indicated similar findings among YMSM (Halkitis et al, 2012). We note that the differences in trajectories found in the present study were attributable to the intercepts rather than the slopes.…”

“…In prospective studies of adolescents and young adults, the onset of substance use is most often associated with age, often beginning in adolescence and peaking in emerging adulthood (Chen and Jacobson, 2012; Clark et al, 2013; Maddahian et al, 1985). Drawing on data from the Monitoring the Future Study, Kroutil et al (2010) observed that lifetime prevalence use of alcohol and marijuana increased with age.…”

“…A small set of studies note that heavy alcohol consumption and substance use increases as income increases, particularly among White and Black adolescents (Clark et al, 2013; Maddahian et al, 1986). …”

Perceived discrimination, depressive symptoms, and substance use in young adulthood

“…During young adulthood, the advantageous lower rates of substance use found in Black adolescents are lost and their rates of substance-use become comparable to their White and Hispanic counterparts (Clark, Corneille, & Coman, 2013; Geronimus, Neidert, & Bound, 1993). Although the causes of this phenomenon, referred to as the “catch-up effect,” are unknown, perceived discrimination may be an important predictor of the catch-up effect.…”