ABSTRACT
Prescription drug misuse has been an increasing problem in the United States, yet few studies have examined the protective factors that reduce risk of prescription drug abuse among rural adolescents. Using social control theory as a theoretical framework, we test whether parent, school, and community attachment reduce the likelihood of lifetime and 30-day prescription drug misuses among rural youths in Nebraska (N = 18,050). Results indicated that higher levels of parental and school attachment and having fun and legal things to do in the community were significantly associated with reduced odds of using. Implications and limitations are discussed.