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Marijuana use among minority youths living in public housing developments

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Abstract

Youths residing in public housing developments appear to be at markedly heightened risk for drug use because of their constant exposure to violence, poverty, and drug-related activity. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a model of marijuana etiology with adolescents (N=624) residing in public housing. African-American and Hispanic seventh graders completed questionnaires about their marijuana use, social influences to smoke maijuana, and sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics. Results indicated that social influences, such as friends' marijuana use and perceived ease of availability of marijuana, significantly predicted both occasional and future use of marijuana. Individual characteristics such as antimarijuana attitudes and drug refsul skills also predicted marijuana use. The findings imply that effective prevention approaches that target urban youths residing in public housing developments should provide them with an awareness of social influences to use marijuana, correct misperceptions about the prevalence of marijuana smoking, and train adolescents in relevant psychosocial skills.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Prevention Research, Department of Public Health, Cornell University Medical College, 411 East 69th Street, KB 201, 10021, New York, NY

    Christopher Williams PhD,  Jennifer A. Epstein PhD, Gilbert J. Botvin PhD & Michelle Ifill-Williams MPH

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  1. Christopher Williams PhD
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  2. Jennifer A. Epstein PhD
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  3. Gilbert J. Botvin PhD
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  4. Michelle Ifill-Williams MPH
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Williams, C., Epstein, J.A., Botvin, G.J. et al. Marijuana use among minority youths living in public housing developments. J Urban Health 76, 85–101 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02344464

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