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Sunday, September 20, 2009

Relationship Between Alcohol Use and Violent Behavior Among Urban African American Youths From Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood: A Longitudinal Study
AJPH First Look, published online ahead of print Sep 17, 2009

We examined developmental trajectories of alcohol use and violent behavior among urban African American youths and the longitudinal relationship between these behaviors from adolescence to emerging adulthood.

Violent behavior peaked in middle to late adolescence and declined thereafter, whereas the frequency of alcohol use increased steadily over time. These developmental trajectories varied according to gender. Among both male and female participants, early violent behavior predicted later alcohol use, and early alcohol use predicted later violent behavior. Moreover, changes in one behavior were associated with changes in the other.

Our results support a bidirectional relationship between alcohol use and violent behavior. Efforts to reduce one problem can be expected to reduce the other. Programs and policies aimed at reducing violence or alcohol use among adolescents should take into account this relationship.

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