Recent alcohol use among African American adolescents based on school experiences and individual perceptions toward school

Abstract

This study examined whether recent alcohol use among African American adolescents differed based on school experiences and perceptions toward school. A secondary analysis of the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health was performed to answer research questions. Results from the multivariable logistic regression models revealed that male and female students at highest risk for recent alcohol use were those who hated/did not like going to school, never/seldom felt that the schoolwork they were assigned was meaningful and important, thought that the things they learned in school would be very/somewhat unimportant, got mostly grades C, D, and F the past semester, and felt that all/most of the students in their grade smoked cigarettes, used marijuana, drank alcohol, and got drunk weekly. Recommendations for future studies are included.

Keywords:

• Recent alcohol use
• sex
• school factors