Typologies of Alcohol Use in White and African American Adolescent Girls

Abstract

This study examined typologies of alcohol use among 2,948 White and African American adolescent girls using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Self-report data were collected on frequency and quantity of alcohol use, negative consequences, and high-risk drinking behaviors, as well as co-occurring internalizing and externalizing problems. Latent class analysis revealed a four-group typology for White girls and a three-group typology for African American girls. Problematic drinkers reported having more internalizing and externalizing problems in both racial groups. The study's limitations and implications are discussed.

Keywords:

• alcohol
• adolescents
• race
• drinking typologies

Notes

¹ Many studies in this area focus on substance use in general, including both alcohol and drug use. Where available, we present findings specific to alcohol use, but otherwise we use the term substance use to refer to studies that have combined across alcohol and other drugs.

² The five items pertaining to high-risk drinking behaviors asked about the adolescent's entire life, rather than just the past year. Thus, 253 girls who reported no alcohol use in the past year responded to these items. Of these, 219 answered no to all of them, and 34 responded yes to one or more of them, indicating that while they did not use any alcohol in the past year, they did at some previous point engage in one of the high-risk drinking behaviors. For the purposes of the current study, which is focused on past-year drinking only, these girls were classified as nonusers and their responses on these items were recoded to reflect this.