STRESS-COPING FACTORS IN ADOLESCENT SUBSTANCE USE - TEST OF ETHNIC AND GENDER DIFFERENCES IN SAMPLES OF URBAN ADOLESCENTS

Investigated group differences in the relationship between stress-copi ng variables and substance (cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana) use wit h samples of inner-city students in sixth through eighth grades (N = 1 ,289) and metropolitan-area students in seventh through ninth grades ( N = 1,702). Measures included affect, life events, parental support, a nd coping patterns. African-American adolescents had the lowest rate o f substance use, Hispanics were intermediate, and Whites had the highe st rate; there was no gender difference in overall substance use. Mult iple regression analysis showed the strength of predictive relationshi ps for stress-coping variables was lower for African Americans and was greatest for Whites; four methodological tests showed these differenc es were not attributable to statistical artifacts. Hispanic adolescent s showed greater vulnerability than Whites at younger ages but this ef fect reversed at later ages. Implications for prevention research are discussed.