Neighborhood, School, and Family Effects on the Frequency of Alcohol Use Among Toronto Youth

Abstract

This study examines the effect of neighborhood, school, and family indicators on adolescent drinking. The Toronto Drugs, Alcohol, and Violence International (DAVI) data were collected in 2001–2002. The sample was stratified both by region (city vs. outskirts) and by the socio-economic status of the schools. Two schools from each stratum were randomly selected and 910 students completed the survey. The survey contains extensive measures of substance use, violence, and mental health. The study uses cluster analysis and multinomial logits to examine the variation in the effect of schools, family, and demographic indicators on alcohol use across neighborhood contexts. Study implications and suggestions for future research are included. The study was partially funded by NIDA grant #R01-DA11691–01A1.

RÉSUMÉ

Cette étude a comme but l'analyse des effets du quartier, de l’école et de la famille sur la consommation d'alcool chez les adolescents. Pour la ville de Toronto, les donnés de l’étude DAVI (Drugs Alcohol and Violence International) furent recueillies en 2001–2002. Elles sont stratifiées par endroit (ville ou banlieue) et par le niveau socio-économique des écoles. On choisit au hasard deux écoles de chaque couche et 910 élèves remplirent l'enquête. L'enquête mesure l'usage des substances, la violence et la santé mentale. L’étude emploie l'analyse des groupes et les fonctions logit multinomiales pour examiner la variation produite dans le usage de l'alcool, à travers les différents types de quartiers, par les effets de l’école, de la famille et les indicateurs démographiques. Les implications de cette étude sont incluses ainsi que des suggestions pour les recherches à poursuivre. L’étude est subventionnée en partie par NIDA #R01-DA11691–01A1.

RESUMEN

Este estudio examina cómo afectan a los adolescentes que beben los datos del barrio, el colegio, y de la familia. El Drugs, Alcohol, and Violence International (DAVI) de Toronto coleccionó los datos durante los años 2001–2002. La muestra se organizó tanto de acuerdo con la región (ciudad metropolitana versus satélite) como el nivel socioeconómico del colegio. Se seleccionaron dos colegios de cada nivel se seleccionaron al azar y 910 alumnos completaron la encuesta. Dicha encuesta comprende amplias medidas del uso de sustancias, de violencia, y de la salud mental. El estudio dispone de el análisis en núcleos y logits polinominales para buscar las variaciones en el influencias de los colegios, la familia, y los datos demográficos del uso del alcohol en todos los contextos relacionados al barrio. Se incluyen descubrimientos y sugerencias para investigaciones futuras. Este estudio fue costeado en parte por la bolsa de estudios NIDA, #R01-DA11691–01A1.

Keywords :

• alcohol
• adolescent
• neighborhood
• collective efficacy
• family
• schools
• social disorganization
• Canada
• minority concentration
• diversity

THE AUTHORS

Sarah E. Browning, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at North Dakota State University. Her research interests include violent victimization, violent perpetration, substance use, and neighborhood effects on crime and victimization. Her current research is expanding on her past work with the Toronto student DAVI data to include cross-national and cross-cultural comparisons of adolescent delinquency, victimization, and substance use. She teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses in research methods as well as graduate courses in violence and structural theories. In her spare time, she enjoys collecting stamps in her passport with her husband and daughter.