A Qualitative Exploration on Risk and Protective Factors of Substance Use Among Black Adolescent Girls

ABSTRACT

Objective

While Black adolescent girls use drugs at much lower rates than White and Hispanic girls, Black adolescent girls often have worse health outcomes due to drug use. This study seeks to highlight the voices of Black adolescent girls in order to understand their unique risk factors for substance use and misuse.

Methods

Utilizing the intersectionality and ecological systems theoretical frameworks, the research team conducted twelve focus groups among a sample of Black adolescent girls (N = 62) between the ages of 13–18 (M = 15.6 years SD = 1.50).

Results

Thematic analysis was conducted to analyze the participant narratives. Four main themes arose: 1) stereotypes of Black adolescent girls; 2) the role of the physical and social environment (feeling unsafe in neighborhoods where they reside); 3) using drugs as a coping mechanism; 4) input on prevention programming for girls with a sub-theme involving family as a protective factor.

Discussion

Study findings deepen our qualitative understanding of risk and protective factors for substance use among Black adolescent girls. These findings provide insight on girls’ lived experiences for researchers and intervention development to create and implement substance abuse prevention programs that are race- and gender-specific for Black adolescent girls.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental material for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2024.2344171.

Additional information

Funding

Authors of this study were supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation [2020145]; National Institute on Drug Abuse [DP1DA058982]; National Institutes of Health [3UH3DA050251-03S1]; National Institutes of Health - U.S. [DP5OD029636]; Yale Center for Clinical Investigation, Yale School of Medicine [TR001863]. This study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (R25-MH087217).