DIMENSIONALITY OF ALCOHOL-USE AMONG AMERICAN-INDIAN ADOLESCENTS - LATENT STRUCTURE, CONSTRUCT-VALIDITY, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENTAL RESEARCH

This study explored the latent structure of adolescent alcohol use and the construct validity of that structure. Using data gathered from 2, 096 American Indian high school students, a double cross-validation de sign uncovered a three-dimensional latent structure of adolescent alco hol use: quantity/frequency, negative consequences, and serious proble m drinking. Quantity/frequency was a significant predictor of both psy chological adjustment (depressive symptoms and antisocial behavior) an d three measures of others' perceptions of youth's drinking. Negative consequences offered a significant increment in prediction of these va riables over and above quantity/frequency in 9 of the 10 analyses. Ser ious problem drinking was significant only in predicting boys' antisoc ial behavior and in predicting others' thinking that girls had a probl em with drinking. Implications for developmental research are consider ed.