School attitudes and perceived peer norms predicted marijuana use in African American adolescent males
Among 5,738 African American male students, 14.7% reported past-year marijuana use, with disliking school and believing most classmates used marijuana being the strongest predictors.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Those at highest risk were 16-17 years old, in grades 9-12, did not like going to school, and believed most or all students in their grade used marijuana. Not liking school and perceived social norms of use were the strongest school-related predictors.
Key Numbers
5,738 African American male students, grades 7-12. 14.7% past-year marijuana use. Highest risk: ages 16-17, grades 9-12, dislike school, perceive high peer use.
How They Did This
Analysis of the 2015-2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). National sample of 5,738 African American students in grades 7-12.
Why This Research Matters
School engagement and perceived peer norms are modifiable risk factors. Understanding what predicts marijuana use in African American male adolescents specifically can inform culturally targeted prevention programs.
The Bigger Picture
Perceived social norms are consistently among the strongest predictors of adolescent substance use. If teens believe "everyone" uses marijuana, they are more likely to use it, regardless of actual prevalence rates.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design. Self-reported data. NSDUH may not capture highest-risk youth (homeless, incarcerated). School-level data does not capture school-specific policies or environments.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would correcting misperceptions about peer marijuana use reduce initiation?
- ?How should prevention programs be culturally adapted for African American male adolescents?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 14.7% past-year use; school attitudes and peer norms key predictors
- Evidence Grade:
- Large nationally representative sample with appropriate statistical methods, but cross-sectional design.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2022, using 2015-2018 NSDUH data.
- Original Title:
- Does marijuana use among African American adolescent males differ based on school factors?
- Published In:
- Journal of ethnicity in substance abuse, 21(2), 762-772 (2022)
- Authors:
- King, Keith A(3), Fuqua, Stephon H, Vidourek, Rebecca A(3), Merianos, Ashley L, Yockey, R Andrew
- Database ID:
- RTHC-03965
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
What predicts marijuana use in African American teen boys?
In this national sample, the strongest school-related predictors were disliking school and believing most classmates used marijuana, with highest risk among 16-17 year olds in high school.
How common is marijuana use among African American adolescent males?
In this nationally representative sample of 5,738 students in grades 7-12, 14.7% reported using marijuana in the past year.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-03965APA
King, Keith A; Fuqua, Stephon H; Vidourek, Rebecca A; Merianos, Ashley L; Yockey, R Andrew. (2022). Does marijuana use among African American adolescent males differ based on school factors?. Journal of ethnicity in substance abuse, 21(2), 762-772. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332640.2020.1824840
MLA
King, Keith A, et al. "Does marijuana use among African American adolescent males differ based on school factors?." Journal of ethnicity in substance abuse, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332640.2020.1824840
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Does marijuana use among African American adolescent males d..." RTHC-03965. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/king-2022-does-marijuana-use-among
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.