Poster #18 - Developmental Adversity at the Individual and Community Level: Longitudinal Associations with Substance Use in Adolescence

• In Event: Poster Session 08

Abstract

Alcohol and marijuana use increase throughout adolescence, continuing into young adulthood (18-to-25-year-olds), by which time 1 in 10 young adults develop a substance use disorder (SAMHSA, 2019). Understanding the contextual factors in substance use may help mitigate risky behaviors during this high-risk period for the emergence of both substance use disorders and psychopathology (Caspi et al. 2020).
Developmental adversities at both the community- and the individual-level (e.g., childhood maltreatment, household socioeconomic status [SES]) are associated with negative health outcomes throughout development (Duffy et al., 2018). Findings remain mixed regarding the associations between community- and individual-level developmental adversity and the use of alcohol and marijuana (Jackson, 2014).
Participants: Using a school-based quota sampling design, we assessed a highly diverse sample of 10th and 12th graders at Wave 1 (W1: 15- to 17-years-old; N = 2017). We repeated the survey over the web in two additional waves (55% of W1 sample completed at least one). To enhance the generalizability of the results, we are completing calibration weights based on the American Community Survey.
Methods: In W1, participants completed computer-assisted self-interview questionnaires in their school; web-based computer assisted self-interview questionnaires were administered in follow-up assessments, including frequency of various health risk behaviors. Substance use items for 12-month alcohol use and 12-month marijuana use are drawn from those used in annual, national surveys (Monitoring the Future; Johnston et al. 2020) and (Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey; Kann et al. 2018). Sociodemographics, reported by each participant, included the participant’s race, age in years, sex, and measures of household SES (parental education and use of public assistance). Exposure to potentially traumatic events was assessed using the three subscales of the Childhood Trauma Scale – Short Form (Bernstein et al., 2003). Measures of neighborhood disadvantage and affluence were calculated using each participant’s geolocated address based on a nation-wide factor analysis of census indicators (NaNDA; Clarke et al. 2014; Morenoff et al. 2007). All three waves of data were used in these analyses to examine the longitudinal association between developmental adversities and substance use.
Results: Bivariate associations among the study variables are reported in Figure 1. We used multilevel modeling to examine the association between our independent variables, developmental adversities, and dependent variables (alcohol or marijuana use), adjusting for correlated error in clustering of wave and neighborhood (Table 1).
We found an association between household SES and substance use. Higher SES and neighborhood affluence were associated with higher alcohol use; for self-reported 12-month marijuana use, lower SES was associated with higher use, although those effects were not observed when trauma and neighborhood disadvantage are entered. Also consistent with our hypothesis, self-reported total score of Childhood Trauma was associated with 12-month substance use. Not consistent with our prediction, the interaction between neighborhood disadvantage and maltreatment were not significant for alcohol use or marijuana use. Overall, the association of developmental adversity with substance use is complex, but should be considered a risk factor. The contribution to substance use disorder may show a different pattern, which remains to be evaluated.

Authors

• Daniel P Keating, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
  Presenting Author

• Michael Demidenko, University of Michigan

• Edward Huntley, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor