Parent, Teacher, and School Protective Factors Reduced Marijuana Use Among African American Youth
Among 7,488 African American middle and high school students, 18.5% used marijuana in the past year, with risky behaviors as risk factors and parent, teacher, and school connections as significant protective factors.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
A survey of 7,488 African American students from 133 metropolitan schools found that 18.5% reported past-year marijuana use, with males significantly more likely to use than females.
Risk factors for marijuana use included getting in trouble at school and with police, and attending parties where alcohol and other drugs were present. Conversely, having multiple protective factors from parents, teachers, and school significantly reduced marijuana use.
The protective factors operated across multiple domains: parental monitoring and engagement, positive teacher relationships, and school connectedness all independently contributed to lower marijuana use. Having protective factors in multiple domains was more beneficial than protection from any single source.
Key Numbers
7,488 African American students. 133 schools. 18.5% past-year marijuana use. Males more likely than females. Risky behaviors (school trouble, police trouble, drug parties) were risk factors. Parent, teacher, and school protective factors reduced use.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional survey using the PRIDE instrument (a nationally recognized substance use survey) administered to 7,488 African American middle and high school students from 133 metropolitan schools.
Why This Research Matters
African American youth face unique cultural and environmental pressures regarding substance use. This study identifies specific, actionable protective factors (parent involvement, teacher relationships, school connection) that reduce marijuana use in this population, providing targets for culturally informed prevention programs.
The Bigger Picture
Prevention science consistently finds that relationships matter: connected youth use substances less. This study confirms the pattern specifically for marijuana use among African American youth and identifies the multi-domain nature of protection. Programs that engage parents, train teachers, and build school connectedness simultaneously may be most effective.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design cannot determine causation. Self-reported marijuana use may be underreported. The PRIDE survey captures school-attending youth, missing those who have dropped out. Metropolitan schools may not represent rural African American communities. The study did not examine marijuana potency, frequency, or consequences.
Questions This Raises
- ?Which specific parent, teacher, or school behaviors are most protective?
- ?Do the protective factors differ for boys versus girls?
- ?Would interventions that strengthen these protective factors actually reduce marijuana use in randomized trials?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 18.5% past-year marijuana use; multiple parent, teacher, and school connections reduced risk
- Evidence Grade:
- Moderate evidence from a large cross-sectional survey.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2017.
- Original Title:
- Psychosocial determinants of marijuana use among African American youth.
- Published In:
- Journal of ethnicity in substance abuse, 16(1), 43-65 (2017)
- Authors:
- Vidourek, Rebecca A(3), King, Keith A(3), Montgomery, LaTrice(2)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-01545
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
What protects African American youth from marijuana use?
This study found that having engaged parents, positive teacher relationships, and feeling connected to school all independently reduced marijuana use. Having protective factors from multiple sources was more beneficial than from any single source.
What increases the risk of marijuana use in this population?
Getting in trouble at school, involvement with police, and attending parties where alcohol and drugs are present were all significantly associated with higher marijuana use. These risk behaviors may reflect broader patterns of disengagement from conventional social institutions.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-01545APA
Vidourek, Rebecca A; King, Keith A; Montgomery, LaTrice. (2017). Psychosocial determinants of marijuana use among African American youth.. Journal of ethnicity in substance abuse, 16(1), 43-65. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332640.2015.1084256
MLA
Vidourek, Rebecca A, et al. "Psychosocial determinants of marijuana use among African American youth.." Journal of ethnicity in substance abuse, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332640.2015.1084256
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Psychosocial determinants of marijuana use among African Ame..." RTHC-01545. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/vidourek-2017-psychosocial-determinants-of-marijuana
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.