Gender and Ethnicity in Early Substance Use Initiation

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案的目的是为申请人Mrug博士提供药物使用研究和高级统计模型方面的新培训，以发展她作为青少年药物使用和滥用领域的独立调查员的职业生涯。申请人的最终职业目标是制定针对特定青年群体的预防性干预措施。与这一长期目标一致，拟议的研究项目侧重于性别和种族在青春期前和青少年早期人群中开始使用物质的作用。具体来说，我们试图1)描述青春期前和青春期早期使用酒精、烟草、大麻和吸入剂的性别和种族差异；2)研究具体的养育方式作为这些性别和种族差异的中介；3)邻里环境对青春期前和青春期早期父母教养和物质使用的影响；4)研究在特定性别和种族亚群中，早期开始物质使用是否代表未来物质相关和功能结局的更高风险。这项研究将为性别和种族在早期药物使用中的作用提供重要见解，并为为不同种族的女孩和男孩制定量身定制的预防干预措施提供有用的信息。K01奖将为申请人提供开展拟议研究所需的技能和指导，并使她能够完全专注于开发研究项目。拟议的培训活动包括一个结构化的4年计划，包括个人指导、课程和在青少年药物使用（Windle博士）、高级统计方法（Roth博士）、对青少年危险行为的环境影响（Bolland博士）等领域的高级导师指导下的监督研究，以及负责任的研究行为方面的额外培训。为了完成该提案的具体目标，Mrug博士将对两个数据集（健康通道和伯明翰青少年暴力研究）进行二次数据分析，并收集伯明翰青少年暴力研究参与者的后续数据。除了发表和在会议上展示实证研究结果外，Mrug博士还将在该奖项的后期阶段撰写并提交一份独立研究资助（R01）。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The purpose of this proposal is to provide Dr. Mrug, the applicant, with new training in substance use research and advanced statistical modeling to develop her career as an independent investigator in the area of adolescent substance use and abuse. The ultimate career goal of the applicant is to develop preventive interventions tailored to specific subgroups of youth. Consistent with this long-term goal, the proposed research program focuses on the role of gender and ethnicity in initiation of substance use in preadolescent and early adolescent populations. Specifically, we seek to 1) describe gender and ethnic differences in preadolescent and early adolescent use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and inhalants; 2) examine specific parenting practices as mediators of these gender and ethnic differences; 3) identify the impact of neighborhood context on parenting and substance use in preadolescence and early adolescence; and 4) examine whether early initiation of substance use represents higher risk for future substance-related and Functional outcomes in specific gender and ethnic subgroups. This research will provide important insights into the role of gender and ethnicity in early substance use and provide useful information for developing tailored preventive interventions for girls and boys of different ethnicities. The K01 award would provide the applicant with the skills and mentoring necessary to carry out the proposed research and allow her to fully focus on developing the research program. Proposed training activities include a structured 4-year program of individual mentoring, coursework, and supervised research under the direction of senior mentors in the areas of adolescent substance use (Dr. Windle), advanced statistical methods (Dr. Roth), and contextual influences on adolescent risk behavior (Dr. Bolland), as well as additional training in the responsible conduct of research. To accomplish the specific aims of this proposal, Dr. Mrug will conduct secondary data analyses of two data sets (Healthy Passages and Birmingham Youth Violence Study) and collect follow-up data on participants in the Birmingham Youth Violence Study. In addition to publication and conference presentation of empirical findings, Dr. Mrug will write and submit an independent research grant (R01) in later stages of this award.