Abstract
Current research indicates that racial discrimination is pervasive in the lives of African Americans. Although there are a
variety of ways in which discrimination may contribute to health, one potentially important pathway is through its impact
on substance use. Addressing the paucity of longitudinal research on this topic, the present study examined the influence
of teacher discrimination on changes in substance use over time among African American adolescents and considered three dimensions
of racial identity as moderators of this association (centrality, private regard, and public regard). Latent variable SEM
analyses indicated that, on average, levels of discrimination were associated with increases in substance use across the high
school years. However, public regard was found to moderate this association such that discrimination was less strongly associated
with increases in substance use for individual who reported lower levels of public regard. The implications of these findings
are discussed.
variety of ways in which discrimination may contribute to health, one potentially important pathway is through its impact
on substance use. Addressing the paucity of longitudinal research on this topic, the present study examined the influence
of teacher discrimination on changes in substance use over time among African American adolescents and considered three dimensions
of racial identity as moderators of this association (centrality, private regard, and public regard). Latent variable SEM
analyses indicated that, on average, levels of discrimination were associated with increases in substance use across the high
school years. However, public regard was found to moderate this association such that discrimination was less strongly associated
with increases in substance use for individual who reported lower levels of public regard. The implications of these findings
are discussed.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-10
- DOI 10.1007/s10865-011-9388-7
- Authors
- Thomas E. Fuller-Rowell, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health and Society Scholar, University of Wisconsin, 610 Walnut Street, WARF 707, Madison, WI 53726-2397, USA
- Courtney D. Cogburn, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Amanda B. Brodish, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Stephen C. Peck, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Oksana Malanchuk, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Jacquelynne S. Eccles, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Journal Journal of Behavioral Medicine
- Online ISSN 1573-3521
- Print ISSN 0160-7715