Correlates of Alcohol Use Severity among Black/African American Adolescents and Emerging Adults with Risky Drinking

Alcohol misuse reaches peak prevalence during adolescence and emerging adulthood increasing the risk for health harms, which is particularly concerning among Black/African American (AA) youth considering the health inequities these individuals experience. Also, disparities in alcohol-related negative social consequences (e.g., incarceration, unemployment) exist. Interventions for youth who engage in risky drinking need to be tailored to diverse needs to achieve better public health outcomes, health equity, and social justice. Herein, to inform future tailored interventions, we report on the factors associated with drinking severity among a sample of Black/AA youth who screened positive for past 3-month risky drinking.

We analyzed baseline cross-sectional data from a randomized controlled trial on alcohol intervention efficacy among youth aged 16-24. This study focused on 184 Black/AA participants. Using multivariate regression, we examined substance use characteristics, self-efficacy to reduce alcohol consumption, and resiliency as they relate to alcohol use severity, controlling for age and sex.

In an adjusted model, older age, more frequent non-fatal overdose experiences, and lower self-efficacy to reduce drinking were significantly associated with more severe drinking. Sex, other substance use, and resiliency did not significantly differentiate alcohol use severity in this sample.

Tailored behavioral interventions to reduce risky drinking severity among Black/AA youth may benefit from considering culturally appropriate ways to increase self-efficacy to reduce drinking while paying special attention to addressing risk for overdose experiences.