Relationship between alcohol use and violent behavior among urban African American youths from adolescence to emerging adulthood: A longitudinal study

Y. Xue, M.A. Zimmerman and R. Cunningham

American Journal of Public Health, 2009, vol. 99, issue 11, 2041-2048

Abstract: Objectives. We examined developmental trajectories of alcohol use and violent behavior among urban African American youths and the longitudinal relationship between these behaviors from adolescence to emerging adulthood. Methods. Our sample included 649 African American youths (49% male) followed for 8 years. We assessed violent behavior and alcohol use by asking participants how often they had engaged in each behavior in the preceding 12 months. Growth curve analyses were conducted to identify the developmental trajectories of the 2 behaviors and to explore the longitudinal relationship between them. Results. Violent behavior peaked in middle to late adolescence and declined thereafter, whereas the frequency of alcohol use increased steadily over time. These developmental trajectories varied according to gender. Among both male and female participants, early violent behavior predicted later alcohol use, and early alcohol use predicted later violent behavior. Moreover, changes in one behavior were associated with changes in the other. Conclusions. Our results support a bidirectional relationship between alcohol use and violent behavior. Efforts to reduce one problem can be expected to reduce the other. Programs and policies aimed at reducing violence or alcohol use among adolescents should take into account this relationship.

Date: 2009
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.2105/AJPH.2008.147827

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2008.147827_4

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2008.147827

Access Statistics for this article

American Journal of Public Health is currently edited by Alfredo Morabia

More articles in American Journal of Public Health from American Public Health Association
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Christopher F Baum ().