@article{ref1,
title="Alcohol and marijuana use trajectories in a diverse longitudinal sample of adolescents: examining use patterns from age 11 to 17",
journal="Addiction",
year="2016",
author="D'Amico, Elizabeth J. and Tucker, Joan S. and Miles, Jeremy N. V. and Ewing, Brett A. and Shih, Regina A. and Pedersen, Eric R.",
volume="111",
number="10",
pages="1825-1835",
abstract="AIMS: We tested race/ethnic differences in alcohol and marijuana (AM) trajectories (comprising an intercept term; reflecting overall probability of use, and a slope term; reflecting change in probability of use) during adolescence, whether AM use trajectories predicted high school outcomes, and whether outcomes differed by race/ethnicity after controlling for trajectory of AM use. <br><br>DESIGN: This longitudinal study involved n = 6,509 youth from 16 middle schools in Southern California surveyed from age 11.5 (2008) to age 17 (2015); all surveys assessed AM use, and the final survey also examined high school outcomes. SETTING: Youth completed five surveys in middle school and two online surveys in high school. PARTICIPANTS: The sample was 50% male and 80% non-White. MEASUREMENTS: Intercept (at 2.75 years post baseline) and slope of AM use were examined as outcomes for race/ethnic differences. AM use trajectories were examined as predictors of academic performance and unpreparedness, social functioning, mental and physical health, and delinquency. <br><br>FINDINGS: We found differences in trajectories of use by race/ethnicity with white youth reporting a higher overall intercept of alcohol use compared to all other groups (v. Asian p < .001, Black p = .001, Multi-ethnic p = .008). Overall, examination of trajectories of use showed that adolescents with a higher alcohol use intercept term reported greater academic unpreparedness (p < .001) and delinquency (p < .001) at wave 7 in high school. In addition, youth with a higher intercept for marijuana use reported greater academic unpreparedness (p < .001) and delinquency (p < .001), and poorer academic performance (p = .032) and mental health (p = .002) in high school. At wave 7, compared to White youth, Hispanic and multi-ethnic youth reported poorer academic performance (p < .001 and p = 0.034, respectively); Asian, Black, and Hispanic youth reported higher academic unpreparedness (p < .001, p = .019, and p = .001); and Asian youth and multi-ethnic youth reported poorer physical health (p = .012 and p = .018) controlling for AM use. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Greater AM use was associated with worse functioning in high school for all youth. After controlling for AM use, non-White youth reported worse outcomes in high school for academics and health.<br><br>This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0965-2140",
doi="10.1111/add.13442",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/add.13442"
}