ERIC Number: EJ1467819
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Mar
Pages: 29
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0272-4316
EISSN: EISSN-1552-5449
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Substance Use Patterns among Early Adolescents in an Urban Community: Associations with Risk and Promotive Factors
Journal of Early Adolescence, v45 n3 p366-394 2025
Polysubstance use is related to elevated risk for adverse outcomes but remains understudied among early adolescents. This study focused on a cross-sectional (N = 1568) primarily Black (79%) sample of eighth grade students living in urban communities (Mean age = 13.8, SD = 0.68) to identify subgroups based on adolescents' reports of lifetime and past 30-day substance use. It also examined subgroup differences in individual, peer, caregiver, and community risk and promotive factors. Latent class analysis identified four subgroups: "Non-use" (73.7%), "Alcohol Use" (5.8%), "Lifetime Use" (13.2%), and "Polysubstance Use" (7.2%). There were no sex differences in subgroup membership when accounting for differential item functioning. The polysubstance use subgroup reported the highest levels of risk (e.g., delinquency) and lowest levels of promotive factors (e.g., caregiver knowledge). Findings inform our understanding of polysubstance use patterns during early adolescence within a primarily Black urban sample and suggest implications for future research.
Descriptors: Substance Abuse, Early Adolescents, Urban Areas, African Americans, Grade 8, Gender Differences, At Risk Persons, Resilience (Psychology), Peer Influence, Family Influence, Individual Characteristics, Middle School Students
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 8; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) (DHHS/CDC); National Institute of Justice (NIJ) (DOJ)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: 5U01CE001956; 2014CKBX0009
Author Affiliations: 1Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA