Table 1. Characteristics of Participants According to Drug Use Status (N=210).
| Non-User n=36 | User n=174 | Total N=210 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sociodemographics | ||||
| Median age (range) | 21 (18-25) | 21 (18-25) | 21 (18-25) | |
| Male | 13 (36.1%) | 89 (51.2%) | 102 (48.6%) | |
| African American | 28 (77.8%) | 143 (82.2%) | 171 (81.4%) | |
| Less than high school education | 17 (47.2%) | 102 (58.6%) | 119 (56.7%) | |
| Single | 16 (44.4%) | 85 (48.9%) | 101 (48.1%) | |
| Children (at least one) | 16 (44.4%) | 79 (45.4%) | 95 (45.2%) | |
| Employed full-time, currently | * | 10 (27.8%) | 23 (13.2%) | 33 (15.7%) |
| Live with substance user | * | 14 (38.9%) | 127 (73.0%) | 141 (67.1%) |
| Current unstable living situationa | * | 0 (0.0%) | 3 (1.7%) | 3 (1.4%) |
| Substance Use and Other Delinquent Behavior | ||||
| Mother or father with alcohol or drug use problem | 21 (58.3%) | 117 (67.2%) | 138 (65.7%) | |
| Ever smoked cigarettes | * | 16 (44.4%) | 152 (87.4%) | 168 (80.0%) |
| Smoke daily | * | 7 (19.4%) | 108 (62.1%) | 115 (54.8%) |
| Drink alcohol at least once a month | * | 12 (33.3%) | 143 (82.2%) | 155 (73.8%) |
| Experienced problems due to alcohol, last year | * | 2 (15.4%) | 73 (50.3%) | 75 (47.5%) |
| Median number of illegal drugs used in the last 30 days (range) | — | 2 (1-7) | 2 (0-7) | |
| Experienced problems due to drug use, last 30 days | — | 52 (29.9%) | 52 (24.8%) | |
| Median days of illegal drug use, last 90 days (range) | — | 72 (1-90) | 72 (1-90) | |
| Median age first regular smoking cigarettes (range) | 17 (11-21) | 16 (9-25) | 16 (9-25) | |
| Median age first started drinking alcohol (range) | * | 17 (12-22) | 15 (12-24) | 16 (12-24) |
| Median age first illegal drug use (range) | * | 16 (12-22) | 14 (9-23) | 14 (9-23) |
| Arrested in last year | * | 4 (11.1%) | 67 (38.5%) | 71 (33.8%) |
| Median number of crimes ever arrested and charged (range) | * | 0 (0-2) | 2 (0-14) | 1 (0-14) |
| Median number of friends involved in delinquent activitiesb | * | 2 (0-32) | 12 (0-52) | 11 (0-52) |
| Median number of times involved in delinquent activitiesb | * | 0 (0-63) | 16 (0-740) | 9 (0-740) |
| Gangmember | * | 0 (0.0%) | 12 (6.9%) | 12 (5.7%) |
| Social support – Someone to turn to if being physically threatened (yes) | 36 (100%) | 162 (93.1%) | 198 (94.3%) | |
| Median number of people can turn to (item range=1 to 10) (range) | * | 4 (1-8) | 3 (1-8) | 3 (1-8) |
| Psychosocial Characteristics | ||||
| Median self-esteem(range) | * | 43 (32-50) | 39 (25-50) | 39.5 (25-50) |
| Median depressive symptoms (range) | * | 14 (0-54) | 18 (0-91) | 17 (0-91) |
| Median low self-control / impulsitivity (range) | * | 33.5 (14-49) | 37 (18-54) | 37 (14-54) |
| Median PTSD (range) | 0 (0-16) | 0 (0-16) | 0 (0-16) | |
| Abuse / victimization | ||||
| Median level of neglect growing up (range) | 7 (0-24) | 6 (0-24) | 7 (0-24) | |
| Physically abused in last year | * | 3 (8.3%) | 38 (21.8%) | 41 (19.5%) |
| Sexually abused in last year | * | 0 (0.0%) | 9 (5.2%) | 9 (4.3%) |
| Emotionally abused in last year | 6 (16.7%) | 37 (27.0%) | 53 (25.2%) | |
| Fear of Neighborhood Environment | ||||
| Perceived fear (range) | * | 23.5 (0-65) | 31 (0-68) | 24 (0-68) |
| Protective actions taken (range) | * | 10 (1-22) | 12 (2-22) | 11.5 (1-22) |
Note.
*
< 0.05, based on crude chi-square estimates from GEE models. Percentages reflect number of non- missing responses.
a
Unstable living situation = living in a hotel, shelter, on the streets, in a car, or homeless.
b
Friends involved in delinquent activities = number of friends (none to all, 0-4) who engaged in 17 different delinquent activities (e.g., purposely destroyed property that did not belong to them, physically hurt someone). Personal involvement in delinquent activities = the number of times (0- 9999) in their lifetime respondent was involved in the same 17 activities.