부산대학교 도서관

Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use are major problems in the inner cities, especially for African American youth. Africentric values may be a protective factor for negative drug outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of Africentric values, spirituality, and demographic variables on drug knowledge, attitudes, and use. Participants were 189 4th- and 5th-graders attending public schools in Washington, DC, and Baltimore, Maryland. Measures of Africentric values (i.e., Collective Work/Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, and Self-Determination), spirituality, age, and whether or not the child resided in a two- or one-parent household were obtained. The results of regression analyses indicated that Collective Work/Responsibility and Cooperative Economics were significant predictors of attitudes toward drugs. Collective Work/Responsibility and spirituality were significant predictors of perceived drug harmfulness. Age and spirituality were significant predictors of drug usage. Age was the only significant predictor of drug knowledge. The Collective Work/Responsibility subscale was the strongest predictor of drug outcomes. The implications for using Africentric prevention approaches for decreasing risk factors and increasing protective factors for drug use among African American youth are discussed. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]