Associations between drug use and behavioral repertoire in urban youths

• Published in: Addiction (Abingdon, England) England), 1996-04, Vol.91 (4), p.523-534
• Main Authors: JOHANSON, CHRIS-ELLYN, DUFFY, FARIFTEH F., ANTHONY, JAMES C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activities; Addictive behaviors; Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; Adolescents; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Drug abuse; Drug addiction; Drug Use; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychosociology; Relationship; Social behaviour; Substance abuse; Substance-Related Disorders; Surveys and Questionnaires; Time Utilization; United States of America; Urban Areas; Urban Population; USA; Young people; Youth
• ISSN: 0965-2140; 1360-0443
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1360-0443.1996.9111173114.x

Converging with psycho-social research findings, animal and human laboratory studies indicate that behavioral alternatives are important determinants of drug-taking. To investigate associations between how early adolescents spend their time, i.e. their behavioral repertoire and drug use (use of marijuana, crack/cocaine or inhalants), we analyzed data from an epidemiological sample of 1516 urban middle-school students who had completed private interviews in spring 1993. The interview included a 36-item questionnaire to assess how frequently the youth engaged in different activities; history of drug-taking was assessed separately. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate associations between drug use and each of seven behavioral domains as well as sex, age and racial-ethnic status. Youths spending a great deal of time working for pay and assuming other adult-like roles were more likely to have initiated drug use (estimated odds ratio, OR = 3.49; p = 0.002). Those who spent much time in religious activities were less likely (OR = 0.2, p