Stress predicts alcohol use but less is known about the role of racial discrimination, a chronic and ubiquitous stressor, as a risk factor for underage drinking among Black youth. While most studies examine race/ethnic differences when exploring underage drinking outcomes, there is a need to understand within-group differences on the stress-alcohol use link in order to focus alcohol prevention and intervention efforts. Thus, this study sought to identify homogeneous subgroups of Black youth based on their experiences of racial discrimination by their teachers and peers in middle and high-school and assess whether these subgroups differed on alcohol-related outcomes in emerging adulthood. Latent transition analyses (LTA) was performed on racial discrimination indicators derived while youth were in the 8th and 11th grade. Findings demonstrated 3 distinct subgroups of youth. Youth in the Teacher-Peer Perceived Racial Discrimination (PRD) group were characterized as having high probabilities of experiencing racial discrimination from both teachers and peers. Those in the Teacher PRD group had high probabilities of experiencing racial discrimination from teachers and a low probability of experiencing racial discrimination from their peers. Finally, youth in the No PRD group had low probabilities across all racial discrimination indicators. Males were more likely to be in the Teacher-Peer and Teacher PRD groups compared to females. Youth in the Teacher-Peer PRD group consumed significantly more alcohol than the other groups, whereas, the Teacher PRD group experienced significantly more alcohol-related consequences. Parents' strategies on how to deal with racial discrimination were not significant protective factors for youth within any group. Implications of the study suggest the need to reduce race-based stress within the school context as a form of intervention and prevention of underage drinking among Blacks. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Family and Child Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2014. / June 20, 2014. / African American/Black, Alcohol, Latent Transition Analyses, Racial Discrimination / Includes bibliographical references. / Frank Fincham, Professor Directing Dissertation; John Taylor, University Representative; Kendal Holtrop, Committee Member; Ming Cui, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_254506 |
| Contributors | Smith, Shardé N. (authoraut), Fincham, Frank (professor directing dissertation), Taylor, John (university representative), Holtrop, Kendal (committee member), Cui, Ming (committee member), Department of Family and Child Sciences (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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