SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC AND ATTITUDINAL CORRELATES OF ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUG-USE AMONG CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS - ANALYSIS OF A LARGE-SCALE ATTITUDE TRACKING STUDY

Data from the Partnership Attitude Tracking Study are analyzed to prov ide a greater understanding of the contributing factors to alcohol and other drug use among children and adolescents. The data were collecte d from children (ages 9 to 12) and teenagers (ages 13 to 17) in centra l locations (usually shopping malls) located in 100 primary sampling u nits across the United States. The analysis, which primarily employed stepwise multiple regression for model estimation, reinforced the impo rtance of friends use, perceived risk, and tobacco and alcohol use in predicting marijuana use. An exposure model, which included antidrug a dvertisements, was a particularly powerful model. Implications of the findings are discussed.