@article{ref1,
title="Predictors of Co-Occurring Risk Behavior Trajectories Among Economically Disadvantaged African-American Youth: Contextual and Individual Factors",
journal="Journal of Adolescent Health",
year="2014",
author="Sterrett, Emma M. and Dymnicki, Allison B. and Henry, David and Byck, Gayle R. and Bolland, John and Mustanski, Brian",
volume="55",
number="3",
pages="380-387",
abstract="PURPOSE: African-American youth, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, evidence high rates of negative outcomes associated with three problem behaviors, conduct problems, risky sexual behavior, and substance use. This study used a contextually tailored version of problem behavior theory (PBT) to examine predictors of the simultaneous development of problem behaviors in this specific cultural group. <br><br>METHODS: Sociocontextual and individual variables representing four PBT predictor categories, controls protection, support protection, models risk, and vulnerability risk, were examined as predictors of co-occurring problem behaviors among economically disadvantaged African-American adolescents (n = 949). Specifically, the likelihood of following three classes of multiple problem behavior trajectories spanning ages 12-18, labeled the &quot;early experimenters,&quot; &quot;increasing high risk-takers,&quot; and &quot;adolescent-limited&quot; classes, as opposed to a &quot;normative&quot; class, was examined. <br><br>RESULTS: Among other findings, controls protection in the form of a more stringent household curfew at age 12 was related to a lower likelihood of being in the &quot;early experimenters&quot; and &quot;increasing high risk-takers&quot; classes. Conversely, vulnerability risk manifested as stronger attitudes of violence inevitability was associated with a higher likelihood of being in the &quot;early experimenters&quot; class. However, the PBT category of support protection was not associated with risk trajectory class. More distal neighborhood-level manifestations of PBT categories also did not predict co-occurring behavior problems. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Guided by an incorporation of contextually salient processes into PBT, prevention programs aiming to decrease co-occurring problem behaviors among low-income African-American adolescents would do well to target both proximal systems and psychological constructs related to perceived security throughout adolescence.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1054-139X",
doi="10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.02.023",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.02.023"
}