CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE SOCIAL-CONTEXT TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADOLESCENT SUBSTANCE USE - A MULTIVARIATE LATENT GROWTH MODELING APPROACH

This article demonstrates a latent growth curve methodology for analyz ing longitudinal data of adolescent substance use. Hypotheses concerni ng the form of growth in alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use, and co variates influencing the form of growth, were tested. Participants wer e male and female adolescents (n = 664) assessed at three time points. A common trajectory existed across the developmental period with sign ificant increases in all three substances. Second-order multivariate e xtensions of the basic latent growth modeling framework suggested that associations among the individual differences parameters, representin g growth or change in the various substance use behaviors, could be ad equately modeled by a higher-order substance use construct. Inept pare ntal monitoring, parent-child conflict, peer deviance, academic failur e, gender, and age, were significant predictors of initial levels and the trajectory of substance use. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd . All rights reserved.