Risk and Protective Factors for Alcohol and Marijuana Use among African-American Rural and Urban Adolescents

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine individual, family, peer, and community risk and protective factors associated with past-30-days alcohol and marijuana use among African-American adolescents living in rural and urban communities. This study used data collected from 907 tenth- and twelfth-grade African-American students who completed the 2005 Community Youth Survey. Peer and individual risk=protective factors were more influential for urban youths while family and community risk=protective factors were more influential for rural youths. This pattern held for alcohol and marijuana use. Implications for substance use prevention programming are discussed.