Predicting the Onset of Alcohol Use and the Development of Alcohol Use Disorder Among Indigenous Adolescents

Authors

Brian E. Armenta, University of MissouriFollow
Kelley J. Sittner, Oklahoma State UniversityFollow
Les B. Whitbeck, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

2016

Citation

Published in final edited form as: Child Dev. 2016 May ; 87(3): 870–882. doi:10.1111/cdev.12506.

Comments

HHS Public Access Author manuscript Child Dev. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2019 June 07.

Abstract

Empirical efforts to identify the predictors of drinking behavior among North American Indigenous adolescents are relatively limited. Using longitudinal data, this study considers perceived discrimination, positive drinker prototypes, and peer drinking behavior as risk factors for the onset of alcohol use and development of an alcohol use disorder among 674 Indigenous adolescents as they progressed from early to late adolescence (M age at baseline = 11.11, SD = 0.83). Results showed that positive drinker prototypes and associations with peers who drink increased the risk for the onset of drinking, while perceived discrimination and associations with peers who drink increased the risk for the development of an alcohol use disorder. The theoretical and practical implications of our results are discussed.