Prevalence and correlates of substance use in Black, White, and biracial Black-White adolescents: Evidence for a biracial intermediate phenomena

Classification of Students by Race and Hispanic/Latino/a/x Ethnicity Impacts Estimates of the Prevalence of Substance Use

Multiracial and Hispanic/Latino/a/x youth are rapidly growing populations in the United States. When considered in substance use studies, they are often treated as homogeneous groups despite important demographic and cultural differences. The current study explores how substance use prevalence may differ depending on how precisely race and ethnicity groups are categorized. Data are from the 2018 High School Maryland Youth Risk Behavior Survey (n = 41,091, 48.4% female). We estimate prevalence of past 30-day substance use (i.e., alcohol, combustible tobacco, e-cigarettes, and marijuana) for all combinations of race and Hispanic/Latino/a/x ethnicity. Substance use prevalence across the specific Multiracial and Hispanic/Latino/a/x categories showed a wider range of estimates than within the traditional CDC racial and ethnic categories. Findings from this study suggest that state- and national-level surveillance of adolescent risk behavior should add further measures of race and ethnic identity to improve researchers' ability to increase precision of substance use prevalence estimates.

Parenting, Peers, and Alcohol Use Initiation Among Black, White, and Black-White Adolescents: Evidence Using Discrete-Time Survival Analysis

Alcohol use among Biracial adolescents remains understudied. This study examined how parenting and peer factors relate to age of alcohol use onset among Black, White, and Biracial Black-White adolescents and emerging adults. We used Add Health data to produce a final analytic sample of 13,528 adolescents who self-identified as White, Black, or Biracial Black-White. Discrete-time survival analysis implemented within logistic regression indicated Black adolescents showed the lowest probability of alcohol use onset by age 18, followed by Biracial adolescents, and White adolescents. The probability of alcohol use onset increased for Monoracial Black and White adolescents at ages 16, 18, and 21. Descriptively our model suggest that Biracial adolescents exhibit a sharp decline in their probability of alcohol use onset at age 16 and a sharp increase at age 21. However, this trend did not differ significantly from the other racial groups. Consistent with social control and learning theories, low parental acceptance, high parental control, and peer substance use were associated with alcohol use onset. Alcohol use onset trajectories differed for Monoracial and Biracial adolescents with Biracial individuals reporting greater alcohol onset in adulthood. Prevention efforts should continue to target parental acceptance, parental control, and peer substance use.

Ethnic Identity, Perceived Discrimination, Substance Use and Misuse among Black-White Biracial Adults

Background: Multiracial groups are projected to be the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population, more than tripling in size over the next four decades. Marginality Theory suggests that biracial individuals, a subgroup of multiracial, may experience heightened conflict with their ethnic identity due to having to negotiate between two distinct cultures. Research shows that changes in ethnic identity is associated with perceived discrimination, and both are associated with marijuana and alcohol use among multiracial groups. These relationships are sometimes stronger among multiracial individuals than monoracial. Limited research exists among specific biracial groups, such as Black-White biracial individuals, despite unique complexities related to ethnic identity. Research conducted among Black-White biracial individuals is often limited to youth samples and shows disproportionate rates of substance use. Objectives: Given the population increase and disparate substance use outcomes among Black-White biracial youth, it is essential to extend substance use and misuse research to Black-White biracial adults to see if similar disparities exist. The present study examined the direct effect of biracial ethnic identity on marijuana use and alcohol misuse, and indirect effects of perceived discrimination to these relationships among a sample of Black-White biracial adults (n = 195) using a 46-item self-report survey administered online via MTurk. Results: Results revealed that while ethnic identity alone was not associated with marijuana use or alcohol misuse, there were significant indirect relationships between ethnic identity, marijuana use, and alcohol misuse through perceived discrimination. Conclusions/Importance: Findings suggest that substance use interventions should seek to address coping with perceived discrimination among this population.

Alcohol trajectories among biracial black subgroups: Testing the intermediate substance use hypothesis

OBJECTIVE

This study tests the intermediate biracial substance use hypothesis, which suggests that the prevalence of substance use among biracial individuals fall intermediate to their corresponding mononoracial counterparts. Using National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent and Adult Health (Add Health) data, we examine alcohol-use trajectories of a de-aggregated sample of biracial Black youth and compare them with the trajectories of the corresponding monoracial counterparts.

METHOD

The sample consists of 9421 adolescents and young adults who self-identified as 1 of 4 monoracial groups (i.e., Black, White, Hispanic, American Indian) or 1 of 3 biracial Black groups (i.e., Black-American Indian, Black-Hispanic, and Black-White). Study hypotheses are tested using latent growth curve modeling for first use, number of drinks, and binge drinking.

RESULTS

We found partial support for the intermediate substance use hypothesis, with the alcohol use rates of biracial Blacks more closely resembling the non-Black corresponding group than the monoracial Black group. Black-American Indians face particularly high risk of problematic drinking.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings demonstrate the need for additional research clarifying the onset and maintenance of alcohol use and misuse among biracial individuals and subgroups.

“Mixed” Drinking Motivations: A Comparison of Majority, Multiracial, and Minority College Students

Social exclusion is associated with substance use, but the specific link between majority and minority racial group membership and substance use is unknown. We examined how social exclusion among racial majority (White), Multiracial, and racial minority (Native American, Latino, Asian, and Black) college students relates to self-reported alcohol use and motivations. Using the AlcoholEdu for College™ survey, Study 1a reports five factors related to motives for initiating or inhibiting alcohol use. Study 1b analyzes majority, Multiracial, and minority college students’ comparative endorsement of these motivations. Study 2 compares these factors with established belonging scales using a separate undergraduate sample. White, Multiracial, Native American, and Latino students displayed the highest proportion of problematic alcohol use. White students endorsed belonging-based drinking motivations, while Multiracial and Asian students endorsed motivations similar to both majority and minority groups. Native American, Latino, and Black students endorsed abstaining motivations more than other groups.

U.S. adolescent alcohol use by race/ethnicity: Consumption and perceived need to reduce/stop use

Understanding racial/ethnic drinking patterns and service provision preferences is critical for deciding how best to use limited alcohol prevention, intervention, and treatment resources. We used nationally representative data from 150,727 U.S. high school seniors from 2005 to 2016 to examine differences in a range of alcohol use behaviors and the felt need to reduce or stop alcohol use based on detailed racial/ethnic categories, both before and after controlling for key risk/protective factors. Native students reported particularly high use but corresponding high felt need to reduce/stop use. White and dual-endorsement students reported high use but low felt need to stop/reduce alcohol use.

Racial/Ethnic Differences in Cigarette Use Trends in the United States among Multiracial and Other Youth, 1994-2008

Tobacco use among the multiracial population is grossly underresearched. This study explored the cigarette-smoking trends of multiracial individuals over time in comparison with monoracial individuals and assessed the relationship between cigarette smoking and factors at the individual, family, peer, school, and state levels. This study used data collected by the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescents and Adult Health from 1994 to 2008. This study examined a subsample of 9,421 respondents who self-identified as Black, Asian, American Indian, Hispanic, White, or multiracial. Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze the population-level data. Findings suggest that multiracial individuals reported high rates of cigarette use over time. The most consistent correlates of cigarette use were family factors, peer cigarette use, and school policies that prohibit staff from smoking on school premises. Additional research is needed to identify the correlates and causes of cigarette use among multiracial adolescents and young adults.