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Marijuana and African American Youth: Exploring Parenting Behaviors and Characteristics of Acquisition associated with Marijuana Use

Thomas, Dawn M
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5114-1204
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1490350969669855

Abstract Details

2017, PhD, University of Cincinnati, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Health Education.
Study One Abstract Background: The increasing trend of marijuana use among African American youth is particularly concerning. Gaps in literature exist and the association between positive parenting behaviors and youth marijuana use based on age should be explored. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine whether African American adolescent’s marijuana use differed based on sex, age and frequency of positive parenting behaviors. Method: A secondary data analysis of the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health was employed for this study. A national sample of African American youth in the United States (N = 2,328) aged 12-17 years completed the survey. Results: A total of 14.4% (n = 336) youth reported using marijuana in the past year and 7.9% (n = 183) of youth reported past month use. Findings: There were no significant differences with regards to sex and marijuana use in the past year and past month. Across age, older students were more likely to have engaged in past year and past month marijuana use than younger students. Further analyses reported youth whose parents engaged in frequent positive parenting behaviors were less likely to use marijuana. Additional results found the impact of implementing positive parenting behaviors was higher within younger students (12 to 13 year olds) compared to older students (15 to 17 year olds). Conclusions: Implications for prevention should include focusing age appropriate intensive prevention strategies for younger African American adolescents and involving parents as a key component of programming. Study Two Abstract Background: Adolescent marijuana use among African Americans is considerably higher within the last decade and is of serious public health concern. Study aims: The purpose of this study is to examine sources where African American adolescent marijuana users obtain marijuana and if sources differ based on frequency of marijuana use, age of first use and demographic variables (i.e., sex, age). Methods: The present study performed a secondary analysis of the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). A national sample of African American youth in the United States (N = 2,328) aged 12-17 years completed the survey, and of these 393 were marijuana users. Findings: The current study found that the majority (43.9%) of African American users tried marijuana for the first time between the ages of 14 – 15 years old. Most users (43.9%) indicated the last time they used marijuana was in the past 30 days and 48% of marijuana users reported marijuana was fairly easy/very easy to obtain. More than half (59.2%) of African American adolescent marijuana users obtained marijuana for free and 54.5% bought the last marijuana they used. The most common source of marijuana was from friends whether purchased or free. No significant differences were found regarding how adolescents obtain marijuana whether they bought it or obtained it for free based on sex, age or age of first use. Conclusions: Socially relevant programming efforts should be developmentally appropriate, implemented across all age categories and focus on building positive peer groups and healthy communities.
Keith King, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Ashley Merianos, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Rebecca Vidourek, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
100 p.
Health Education
marijuana; youth; parenting behaviors; African American adolescents; sources; acquisition

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Thomas, D. M. (2017). Marijuana and African American Youth: Exploring Parenting Behaviors and Characteristics of Acquisition associated with Marijuana Use [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1490350969669855

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Thomas, Dawn. Marijuana and African American Youth: Exploring Parenting Behaviors and Characteristics of Acquisition associated with Marijuana Use. 2017. University of Cincinnati, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1490350969669855.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Thomas, Dawn. "Marijuana and African American Youth: Exploring Parenting Behaviors and Characteristics of Acquisition associated with Marijuana Use." Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1490350969669855

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1490350969669855
342
© 2017, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License Marijuana and African American Youth: Exploring Parenting Behaviors and Characteristics of Acquisition associated with Marijuana Use by Dawn M Thomas is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.