Associations between racial and socioeconomic discrimination and risk behaviors among African-American adolescents and y
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Associations between racial and socioeconomic discrimination and risk behaviors among African‑American adolescents and young adults: a latent class analysis Tiffany H. Xie1,2 · Manik Ahuja1,3 · Vivia V. McCutcheon1 · Kathleen K. Bucholz1 Received: 4 June 2019 / Accepted: 2 May 2020 © Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Purpose Discrimination is a common stressor among African Americans and may increase vulnerability to risk behaviors, such as early initiation of substance use, substance use problems, and physical aggression; however, few studies have examined different types of discrimination and their associations with patterns of risk behaviors. This study examines the relationship between experiences of racial and socioeconomic discrimination and risk behaviors in African-American adolescents and young adults. Methods We investigated associations of two discrimination types with risk behavior patterns identified with latent class analysis in a high-risk sample of African Americans (N = 797, Mage = 17.9 years, 50.2% female). Results Four distinct classes of risk behaviors were characterized by High Use and Aggression (10%), Moderate Use and Aggression (10%), High Alcohol (17%), and Low Use and Aggression (63%). Classes that exhibit general risk behaviors, including substance use and aggression, were significantly associated with racial and socioeconomic discrimination, even in the fully adjusted model. Relative to other classes, the High Use and Aggression class demonstrated an elevated likelihood of experiencing both racial and socioeconomic discrimination. Conclusions Findings support a link between racial and socioeconomic discrimination and risk behavior in African-American youth, which may be stronger for socioeconomic discrimination. Understanding the relationship between discrimination and risk behavior can inform future interventions to prevent substance misuse and conduct problems in youth. Further study is needed to elucidate the relationship between discrimination and other risk behaviors. Keywords Black/African American · Discrimination · Substance use · Aggression · Latent class analysis
Introduction Many studies suggest that discrimination increases vulnerability to health problems, exacerbating inequity [1, 2]. One meta-analysis found associations between racism and poor mental, physical, and general health [3]. Certain populations, such as African Americans, experience elevated levels of discrimination and may be more vulnerable to negative * Tiffany H. Xie [email protected] 1
Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
2
Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
3
Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, USA
health outcomes [4]. Data suggest that African Americans experience more discrimination than Whites or other racial/ ethnic groups [5, 6], including youth [7]. Studies suggest that > 75% of African-American adolescents experienced racial discrim
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