PREVENTING ALCOHOL ABUSE IN AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE YOUTH

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Although overall prevalence rates of alcohol use and alcohol consumption levels are similar for African-American and white men, there is substantial evidence to indicate that African-American men experience notably higher levels of negative health and social consequences related to alcohol use. Although the peak incidence of these problems appears in early or middle adulthood, prevention efforts must begin in childhood and adolescence to prevent their onset in adulthood. In particular, alcohol abuse, drug use, and other health risk behaviors among African- American males are viewed in part as a response to poverty, lack of employment and educational opportunities, deteriorating urban environments, and the subsequent breakdown in the social and familial bonds in a large segment of the African-American community. Adolescent males need to be adequately prepared to respond to and overcome these challenges if they are to make a successful transition to adulthood. The proposed 5-year study builds on an ongoing community-based, randomized control intervention that offers culturally relevant guidance and mentoring, combined with an employment training and placement program, to African-American male adolescents. The intervention, called Supporting Adolescents with Guidance and Employment (SAGE), is currently being implemented within the framework of a randomized control design. Each of 240 youth is being assigned to one of three conditions: guidance and employment, employment only, and control. Nine months after the conclusion of the initial program activities, the control group participants will receive a delayed program consisting of either one or both programmatic components. Participants will be followed an additional 3 years beyond the conclusion of the program. The purpose of the study is to enhance and extend the longitudinal evaluation effort currently in place, focusing specific attention on alcohol use behaviors and related consequences. In doing so, the study will provide important information regarding the efficacy of culturally relevant adolescent guidance and employment programs for reducing alcohol misuse and other related high-risk behaviors among male African- American adolescents. The requested funding will not be used to support programmatic activities, but rather to provide data collection support and facilitate the analysis and reporting of programmatic effects on alcohol use outcomes, as well as other issues related to the etiology and patterns of alcohol use behaviors and consequences in the target population.