The Concrete Jungle: City Stress and Substance Abuse among Young Adult African American Men

Seth, Puja; Murray, Colleen Crittenden; Braxton, Nikia D.; DiClemente, Ralph J.

doi:10.1007/s11524-012-9716-4

Cited by 33 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Research also documents the link between neighborhood context, depression and increased substance use for Black men 41-43 and multi-ethnic populations 11 . Research investigating the psychological pathways that link neighborhood context and sexual risk is rare, however 4 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Neighborhood Context and Black Heterosexual Men’s Sexual HIV Risk Behaviors

et al. 2014

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The effects of neighborhood context on sexual risk behavior are understudied, particularly for Black heterosexual men who do not inject drugs or report heavy drug use. Evidence of a generalized HIV epidemic (>1%) among Black heterosexuals in low-income urban U.S. communities underscores the importance of examining the effects of neighborhood context on Black heterosexual men’s sexual risk, however. We used structural equation modeling to test the pathways between neighborhood context (neighborhood disorder, personal violence, neighborhood threats), depression, substance use, and sexual risk behavior. Participants were 526 self-identified Black heterosexual men, ages 18 to 45, recruited via randomized venue-based probability sampling in Philadelphia, PA. Analyses of model fit statistics from Mplus indicated statistically significant direct pathways between neighborhood context, depression, substance use, and sexual risk behavior. The total indirect effect of neighborhood context on sexual risk behavior through substance use was also significant. The study’s results highlight a need for more research on neighborhood context and sexual HIV risk, and for multilevel interventions to address the effects of negative neighborhood context on Black heterosexual men’s sexual HIV risk.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Neighborhood Context and Black Heterosexual Men’s Sexual HIV Risk Behaviors

et al. 2014

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“…15 In this same sample but not restricted to African Americans, youth living in neighborhoods with an increasing presence of abandoned buildings over time were more likely to use marijuana 2 years after high school compared to youth living in "always-good" neighborhoods. 16 More recently, in a small study of young adult African American men in Chicago, those reporting high levels of neighborhood disorder were more likely to report a history of marijuana use. 17 African Americans also rate their communities as more threatening than adolescents of other racial groups.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neighborhood Environment and Urban African American Marijuana Use during High School

et al. 2014

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African American male high school students have the highest rates of marijuana use among all racial, ethnic, and gender groups, yet there is limited research examining contextual factors salient to the African American community. The purpose of this study was to examine how neighborhood environment measured in 8th grade is related to longitudinal transitions in marijuana use during high school (9th to 12th grades) in a sample of urban African Americans. Four hundred and fifty-two African American children were interviewed annually beginning in 1st grade as part of a longitudinal field study in Baltimore city. Latent transition analysis indicated early in high school posed the greatest risk for initiation and progression of marijuana use. Community violence exposure was associated with an increased likelihood of transitioning from no marijuana use to infrequent use (adjusted odds ratios (AOR)=2.40, pG0.001). Higher perceived neighborhood disorder (AOR=3.20, p= 0.004), drug activity and sales in the neighborhood (AOR=2.28, p=0.028), and community violence exposure (AOR=4.54, pG0.001) were associated with an increased risk of transitioning from no use to frequent/problematic marijuana use. There was evidence for partial mediation of these associations by perceptions of harm and depressed mood. Drug activity and sales was associated with progression from infrequent to frequent and problematic use (AOR=2.87, p=0.029). African American youth living in urban environments with exposure to drug activity, violence, and neighborhood disorder are at increased risk for both initiation and progression to more frequent and problematic marijuana use during high school. These findings highlight the need to develop interventions for African American youth that are mindful of the impact of the additional stressors of living in a highrisk urban environment during a critical developmental transition period. Reducing exposure to drug activity and violence in high-risk urban neighborhoods may be the first step to potentially halt increasing rates of marijuana use among African Americans.

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“…Indirect exposure to community violence arose as a significant form of misfortune in young African American men (Janusek et al, 2017). Whereas direct experiences of community violence were associated with perspectives and environmental impacts; perspectives included perceived stress in high violent communities (Janusek et al., 2017; Seth et al., 2012; Smith & Patton, 2016). The health effects of indirect exposure to chronic community violence have not extensively been studied in adult literature and has the potential to impact health research in underserved and disadvantaged urban communities.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community violence and African American male health outcomes: An integrative review of literature

Duffrin

et al. 2020

Health Soc Care Community

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The morbidity and mortality rates of African American men consistently rank among the lowest across all groups in the United States. African American men have one of the highest mortality rates for heart disease, cancer, stroke unintentional injuries and homicide (Gilbert et al., 2016). The leading cause of death in African American men age 24-34 years old is homicide (CDC, 2011). A majority of the health disparities experienced by African American men are the result of socioeconomic disadvantage, racism and residing in resource-poor communities (Bharmal et al., 2011). With disproportionate access to care and community stressors, there is a critical need to explore the health of African American men in high violent neighbourhoods. Many African American men live in disadvantaged communities marked by strenuous poverty, residential instability, joblessness, violent crime and educational shortages (Simning, Wijngaarden, & Conwell, 2012). African American men are also more likely not to have regular care, live in food deserts, work in unsafe environments and engage in unhealthy behaviours like tobacco use and alcohol consumption (Metzl, 2013). Dwelling in these communities, leave African American men at risk for adverse experiences that impact their health behaviours and outcomes. Community violence is an important consideration of the physical environment. Community violence is characterised by physical assault, sexual assault, homicide, mugging, gang violence, unnecessary force by authorities, theft and family violence (Walling, Eriksson, Putman, & Foy, 2011). Additionally, community violence exposure has been linked to higher rates of weapon involvement especially in African Americans, potentially due to self-defence, fear of violence or association with delinquency and aggression (Shetgiri, Boots, Lin, & Cheng, 2016). In particular, gun violence disproportionately impacts communities with social and economic inequities (Santilli et al., 2017). Inequities in communities of colour are due to structural racism such as segregation. Communities plagued with

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The Concrete Jungle: City Stress and Substance Abuse among Young Adult African American Men

Cited by 33 publications

References 25 publications

Neighborhood Context and Black Heterosexual Men’s Sexual HIV Risk Behaviors

Neighborhood Context and Black Heterosexual Men’s Sexual HIV Risk Behaviors

Neighborhood Environment and Urban African American Marijuana Use during High School

Community violence and African American male health outcomes: An integrative review of literature

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