The social context of substance use among African American youth: Rural, Urban and Suburban comparisons

This study compared substance use perceptions and behavior of African American youth in metropolitan (urban and suburban) and no metropolitan (rural) settings. Based on an analysis of data from a sub sample of African Americans (N = 3,009) who participated in the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS: 88) and follow-ups in the 1990 and 1992, the findings revealed that, overall, substance abuse is perceived as a relatively serious problem at school, and by the twelfth grade most adolescents have tried alcohol and a substantial proportion have used marijuana. Early substance use and peer influence are major determinants of later substance use within each context. However, some important differences exist in the prediction of alcohol and marijuana use within each social context, suggesting a need to take into account the relative importance of selective sociodemographic, risk and protective factors for substance use within different social-environmental settings.