White and black adolescent females differ in profiles and longitudinal patterns of alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use.

ABSTRACT: Emerging research suggests that white youth are more likely to show continuity of alcohol use in the year after drinking onset, compared with black youth. Little is known, however, regarding racial differences in year-to-year continuity of alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use during adolescence, particularly among females, who are at greater risk for certain substance-related harm than males. This study used latent class/transition analysis to identify profiles of past year alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use at ages 13-17 in a community sample of 1076 adolescent females (57% black, 43% white). Three profiles of past year substance use were identified in separate analyses by race: "no use," "alcohol only," and "polydrug use." Although similar labels describe the profiles, the probabilit

SUBMITTER: Chung T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3971382 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature