Sequence of sexual behavior and its relationship to other problem behaviors in African American and Puerto Rican adolescents.

This study examined the sequence of sexual behavior of 695 African American and 637 Puerto Rican adolescents and the relationship of this sequence to other problem behavior measures. Analyses indicated that adolescents proceed through four stages of sexual behavior: no involvement, then deep kissing, then petting, and, finally, sexual intercourse. The sequence was similar in both ethnic groups and seemed both unidimensional and cumulative. In addition, for both ethnic groups the degree of sexual involvement was significantly related to the level of drug use and to the frequency of delinquent behavior, thereby suggesting an underlying problem behavior syndrome. Directions for future research are suggested.

African-American and Puerto Rican drug use: personality, familial, and other environmental risk factors.

Using a family interactional theoretical framework giving primacy to the mutual attachment between parent and child, we examined the interrelationship of acculturation, ecological factors, family, personality, peers, and drug context domains with drug use in an inner city sample. We also assessed the extent to which family protective factors mitigated against risks for drug use from most of the other domains. The sample consisted of 695 African-American and 637 Puerto Rican 7th-10th graders who answered the questionnaire while listening to it on personal tape players in their classrooms. The results of hierarchical regression analyses sufficiently supported the hypothesized sequence of interrelationships in both ethnic groups to substantiate our developmental model of drug use. We also found protective buffers common to both ethnic groups and buffers specific to each group. The implications of the results for targets and timing of intervention in the path to drug use are discussed.

Sequences of drug involvement in African-American and Puerto Rican adolescents.

This study examined stages in drug involvement of 695 African-American and 637 Puerto Rican adolescents. Analysis indicated that adolescents progress through several stages of drug involvement: beer/wine, cigarettes or hard liquor, then marijuana, and, finally, illicit drugs other than marijuana. The sequence of drug involvement for both ethnic groups appears to be both unidimensional and cumulative.

Coping with predictable crises of diabetes.

Although the role of emotional and psychosocial factors in diabetes is generally appreciated, most health care professionals, diabetic patients, and families of patients have no clear model that clarifies the nature of psychosocial variables and provides defined principles for effective treatment and preventative interventions. A multivariate clinical model for coping with predictable crises of diabetes is presented. The model is based on the constructs of crisis, coping, and social support as well as a developmental and life course perspective. The psychosocial tasks to be addressed in coping with crises, in general, as well as strategies of coping are defined and discussed. The specific predictable crises of diabetes are described with reference to the demands and sources of stress inherent in the critical situations and the associated strategies for coping with them. Special attention is given to coping with the initial diagnosis and onset of the disease, the role of health care professionals, and developmental issues in coping with diabetes.

Relationships between behavioral factors and diabetic control in children and adolescents: a camp study.

Relationships between health status and behavioral factors were studied in 211 insulin-dependent diabetic children, ages 5-19 years, at a camp for diabetic children. In general, diabetic control, as measured by counselor-monitored urine tests made across a 2-week period, improved across age. Diabetic control was negatively related to knowledge of diabetes; that is, the worse the diabetic control, the higher the degree of knowledge. Acquisition of a high level of knowledge was viewed as a coping effort in response to the stress of poor diabetic control. Also, boys in poor diabetic control tended to be more internal in locus of control (ready to take action to confront their difficulties), and girls in poor diabetic control tended to be more external (feeling powerless and acting compliant). This sex difference in the relationship between diabetic control and locus of control was interpreted as reflecting sex differences in responses to stress. Findings involving other health status, behavioral, and demographic variables are presented and discussed.

A hierarchy of drug use in adolescene: behavioral and attitudinal correlates of substantial drug use.

The authors studied drug use in a representative sample of suburban junior and senior high school students. They found high levels of drug use overall and a substantial amount of drug involvement among junior high school students. They also found that drugs were used in clusters, that there was a distinctive age-related pattern of drug use, and that the progressive-step therory of drug use was not confirmed. A number of behavioral and attitudinal variables correlated with a tendency toward a high level of drug use. The implications of these findings include the need for targeted drug education and prevention programs and a differentiated approach to the study of drug use among adolescents.