Risk factors and drug use in suburban adolescents.
Item
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Title
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Risk factors and drug use in suburban adolescents.
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Identifier
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AAI9618126
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identifier
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9618126
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Creator
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Zucchi, Elaine C.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Carol Tittle
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Date
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1996
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Education, Educational Psychology | Psychology, Developmental | Education, Guidance and Counseling
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Abstract
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Early researchers examined individual or clusters of risk factors to explain adolescent drug use because they believed there is a single pathway for early drug use. Problems arose in integrating findings into one theory (Flay & Pertraitis, 1980).;Four theories predominate. (1) Problem behavior theory (Jessor & Jessor, 1977) conceptualizes adolescent drug use as a manifestation of unconventionality involving delinquent behavior. (2) Social learning theory (Akers, Krohn, Lanza-Kaduce, & Radosevich, 1979) explains drug use by exposure to models using drugs, neutral or positive attitudes toward drug use, and the reinforcing effects of the drug itself. (3) Stage theory (Kandel, 1975) predicts a progression from alcohol and cigarette to marijuana and illicit drug use. (4) Multiple pathway theory explains adolescent drug use by the total number of risk factors (Farrell, Danish, & Howard, 1992; Farrell, Anchor, Danish, & Howard, 1992).;The present study investigated how Farrell et al.'s work would generalize from urban and rural adolescents to suburban adolescents from three schools. Hypothesis 1, as the total number of risk factors for suburban seventh graders increase, prevalence of drug use will increase, was supported. The multiple pathway theory generalized to suburban seventh graders. Hypothesis 2, that prevalence of drug use would be the same for each of the three schools, was supported. Hypothesis 3, that average number of risk factors would be the same for each school, was not supported. School 1 had significantly fewer risk factors than School 2 (p {dollar}<{dollar}.05). However, School 1 also had significantly more nonusers than School 2 (p {dollar}<{dollar}.05). Approximately 10% of the students used potentially lethal inhalants. Approximately 11% of the seventh graders were frequent drug users. Educationally, drug prevention programs need to be individualized for schools, introduced prior to seventh grade, and educate on inhalants. Intervention programs for frequent users is indicated. Longitudinal studies are needed to examine whether the multiple pathway theory predicts adolescent drug use and which risk factors are correlates, predictors, and/or consequences of drug use.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
