Alcohol and Cannabis Use Milestones in Diverse Urban Adolescents: Associations with Demographics, Parental Rule Setting, Sibling and Peer Deviancy, and Outcome Expectancies

Alcohol use in multiracial American youth compared with monoracial youth: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Although multiracial people comprise the fastest growing population in the United States, multiracial youth are nearly invisible in alcohol research. This meta-analysis synthesized the youth alcohol literature to estimate the magnitude of difference in alcohol use as a function of multiracial status.

DESIGN AND MEASUREMENTS

Empirical studies reporting multiracial and monoracial comparisons in youth (aged 10-24 years) alcohol use were identified through a systematic literature search. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted using 85 effect sizes extracted from 16 studies assessing life-time, past-year, past-month and binge alcohol use.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

A total of n=1 555 635 youth were assessed in the United States.

FINDINGS

Multiracial youth are suggested to be more likely to endorse life-time alcohol use than Asian youth [number of studies (k) = 3; odds ratio (OR) = 1.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.01, 3.24; p = 0.04], with significant between-study heterogeneity (Q = 8.42; p < 0.001; I2  = 76%) in effect size comparisons. Multiracial youth are suggested to be more likely to endorse past-month alcohol use than Black (k = 6; OR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.38, 1.71; p < 0.001) and Asian (k = 4; OR = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.52, 2.88; p < 0.001) youth, but less likely than White (k = 6; OR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.84, 0.91; p < 0.001) youth, with significant between-study heterogeneity for Black youth (Q = 11.94; p = 0.03; I2  = 58%) in effect size comparisons. Lastly, multiracial youth are suggested to be more likely to endorse binge alcohol use than Black (k = 4; OR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.62, 2.44; p < 0.001) and Asian (k = 4; OR = 2.82, 95% CI = 2.28, 3.48; p < 0.001) youth, but less likely than White (k = 5; OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.70, 0.81; p < 0.001) and American Indian/Alaska Native (k = 3; OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.71, 0.85; p < 0.001) youth, with significant between-study heterogeneity among Black (Q = 23.99; p < 0.001; I2  = 87%) and Asian (Q = 17.76; p < 0.001; I2  = 83%) youth in effect size comparisons.

CONCLUSIONS

In the United States, multiracial youth report distinct alcohol use patterns compared with monoracial youth and may be at elevated alcohol use risk compared with Black and Asian youth.

The intersection of neighborhood and race in urban adolescent health risk behaviors

AIMS

Racial variability in associations of neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and neighborhood disorder with adolescent health risk behaviors remains under-researched, which this study examined over 1 year among racially diverse adolescents.

METHODS

High school students (N = 345; 18% Asian, 44% Black, 16% Multiracial, 22% White) completed surveys assessing neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and neighborhood disorder, and health risk behaviors (lifetime alcohol, cannabis, and cigarette use, number of sexual partners) at baseline (Year 1) and 1-year follow-up (Year 2).

RESULTS

Asian, Black, and Multiracial adolescents were more likely to endorse health risk behaviors in Year 2 compared to White adolescents living in similarly disadvantaged neighborhoods at Year 1. Associations of neighborhood disorder with health risk behavior did not differ by race.

CONCLUSION

Neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage (but not neighborhood disorder) may predispose Asian, Black, and Multiracial adolescents to health risk behaviors. Findings may inform interventions to address racial disparities in adolescent health risk behaviors.