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Background: We investigated the role of psychosocial and proximal contextual factors on nicotine dependence in adolescence. Methods: Data on a multiethnic cohort of 6th to 10th graders from the Chicago public schools were obtained from four household interviews conducted with adolescents over two years and one interview with mothers. Structural equation models were estimated on 660 youths who had smoked cigarettes by the first interview. Results: Pleasant initial sensitivity to tobacco use, parental nicotine dependence (ND), adolescent ND and extensiveness of smoking at the initial interview had the strongest total effects on adolescent ND two years later. Perceived peer smoking and adolescent conduct problems were of lesser importance. Parental ND directly impacted adolescent ND two years later and had indirect effects through pleasant initial sensitivity and initial extensiveness of smoking. Parental depression affected initial adolescent dependence and depression but adolescent depression had no effect on ND. The model had greater explanatory power for males than females due partly to the stronger effect of conduct problems on dependence for males than females. Conclusions: The findings underscore the importance of the initial drug experience and familial factors on adolescent nicotine dependence and highlight the factors to be the focus of efforts targeted toward preventing ND among adolescents.

Used longitudinal sample of 187 mother-child dyads to examine the role of child behavior problems in explaining the effect of maternal prenatal smoking on adolescent daughters' smoking. Found that maternal prenatal smoking retained a unique effect on girls' current smoking with controls for current maternal smoking, child behavior problems, and maternal monitoring of the child, suggesting a biological component. (KB)

Investigated relationship between drug use and sexual activity prior to age 16 using data from 2 youngest birth cohorts (N=2,711) from National Longitudinal Survey of Young Adults. When other important risk factors were controlled, reported prior use of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, and other illicit drugs greatly increased the risk of early sexual activity for adolescent males and females. (Author/ABL)

Examined determinants of occurrence and outcomes of premarital pregnancy. Found cohabitation, being black, poor grades and high peer activity in high school, use of illicit drugs other than marijuana and dropping out to be associated with increased risk of premarital pregnancy. Premarital births were overrepresented among blacks, as were abortions among illicit drug users. (Author/NB)

Correlates of alcohol use were compared in France, with high prevalence of use; Israel, low prevalence; and the United States, in the middle. In all three countries, significant others--parents and peers--were more powerful predictors than personal attributes. The importance of parents in Israel and peers in the United States was shown. (Author/CM)

Abstract: Little is known about the natural history of drug dependence. This article describes the development and predictors of DSM-IV nicotine dependence in adolescence when tobacco use is initiated. In a two-stage design, a survey was administered to 6th–10th graders in the Chicago Public Schools to select a cohort of adolescents. Household interviews were conducted with adolescents five times and with one parent (predominantly mothers) three times over 2 years. The analytical sample includes 353 youths, who started using tobacco within 12 months preceding Wave 1 or between Waves 1–5. Survival analysis estimated latency to individual DSM-IV nicotine dependence criteria and the full dependence syndrome. Twenty-five percent of youths experienced the syndrome within 23 months of tobacco use onset. Tolerance, impaired control and withdrawal were experienced most frequently. Youths who developed full dependence experienced their first symptom faster after tobacco use onset than those who experienced only one criterion through the end of the observation period. Cox proportional hazards models estimated the importance of time-constant and time-varying sociodemographic, tobacco and other drug use, parental and peer smoking, social psychological and biological risk factors for experiencing the first criterion and the full syndrome. Pleasant initial sensitivity to tobacco and number of cigarettes smoked the prior month predicted both outcomes. Parental dependence predicted the full syndrome. Significant covariates were generally the same across gender and racial/ethnic subgroups. The predictive significance of the initial smoking experience and parental dependence highlight the potential importance of genetic factors in the etiology of nicotine dependence. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]