Citation

Kosterman R, Hawkins JD, Guo J, Catalano RF, Abbott RD. Am. J. Public Health 2000; 90(3): 360-366.

Affiliation

Social Development Research Group, University of Washington, Seattle 98115, USA. rickk@u.washington.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, American Public Health Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2180065

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study, guided by the social development model, examined the dynamic patterns and predictors of alcohol and marijuana use onset. METHODS: Survival analysis and complementary log-log regression were used to model hazard rates and etiology of initiation with time-varying covariates. The sample was derived from a longitudinal study of 808 youth interviewed annually from 10 to 16 years of age and at 18 years of age. RESULTS: Alcohol initiation rose steeply up to the age of 13 years and then increased more gradually; most participants had initiated by 13 years of age. Marijuana initiation showed a different pattern, with more participants initiating after the age of 13 years. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that: (1) the risk of initiation spans the entire course of adolescent development; (2) young people exposed to others who use substances are at higher risk for early initiation; (3) proactive parents can help delay initiation; and (4) clear family standards and proactive family management are important in delaying alcohol and marijuana use, regardless of how closely bonded a child is to his or her mother.

Language: en