Browsing by Author "Rowe, Alia T."

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    Dieting and Substance Use Among White and Black Adolescent Girls
    (Elsevier, 2021) Rowe, Alia T.; Khazvand, Shirin; Wu, Wei; Barnes-Najor, Jessica; Zapolski, Tamika C. B.; Psychology, School of Science
    Objective: Previous research has found an increasing co-occurrence of dieting and substance use behavior among adolescent girls. However, to date few studies have examined the temporal ordering of these behaviors. Further, limited research has been conducted to explore whether the pathways are similar among both White and Black girls. Method: For the current study 1580 girls (grade 6-11; 78.2% White; 21.8% Black) provided data on their dieting behavior and substance use. A cross-lagged panel design was used to examine the concurrent and prospective relationship between dieting behavior and substance use across one year, then by race. Results: Among the full sample of girls, there was a significant concurrent relationship. Additionally, dieting behavior predicted substance use one year later, but the inverse relationship was not found. For the stratified analysis, dieting behavior and substance use were not correlated among Black girls at either time point, however concurrent relationships were found for White girls. For the prospective pathways non-significant effects were found for both groups. Discussion: These findings provide support for a temporal relationship between dieting behavior and substance use, such that the former predicts risk for the latter. However, when examined by race, some pathways of the full sample were found for White girls, whereas Black girls did not report an association between study variables. Thus, future studies should consider the impact of race within risk pathways.
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    Examining the Effects of Implicit and Explicit Racial Identity on Psychological Distress and Substance Use Among Black Young Adults
    (American Psychological Association, 2021) Clifton, Richelle L.; Rowe, Alia T.; Banks, Devin E.; Ashburn-Nardo, Leslie; Zapolski, Tamika C.B.; Psychology, School of Science
    Racial identity is an aspect of self-concept that is important to the mental and behavioral health of Black individuals. Yet, much of the current research on racial identity is based on self-report measures which may impact findings due to reporting biases. One way to alleviate some of the measurement concerns is to use implicit measures to assess racial identity. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether an implicit assessment of racial identity, specifically racial centrality, provided a unique contribution to the understanding of risk for psychological distress and substance use among Black young adults above potential effects observed from an explicit measurement of racial identity. Additionally, the potential moderating effect of implicit racial identity, controlling for explicit racial identity, on the association between racial discrimination and these health outcomes was also examined. One hundred and forty-seven Black young adults participated in this study. Contrary to our hypothesis, there was no significant main effect of implicit racial centrality on depressive symptoms or substance use after accounting for explicit racial centrality. However, after controlling for explicit racial centrality, a significant moderating effect of implicit racial centrality on the relationship between racial discrimination and substance use was observed. Although support for all of our hypotheses was not definitively found, our findings can be added to this emerging area of study. Additionally, potential explanations for the findings are provided that can be used to inform future research in this area to better understand the utility of assessing for implicit racial identity among Black young adults.
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    Examining the relationship of dieting behavior and substance use among female adolescents
    (2018-05) Rowe, Alia T.; Zapolski, Tamika C.B.
    The problem behavior theory suggests that the engagement in one problematic behavior increases the likelihood of engagement in another problematic behavior. Previous research has found among youth an increasing probability of co-occurring dieting and substance use behavior, particularly among girls. However, to date findings are inconclusive on the temporal ordering of these behaviors. Further, limited research has been conducted to explore whether the temporal ordering of the two behaviors exist similarly between White and Black youth. The present study will use a cross-lagged panel design across one year to examine the temporal ordering between dieting behavior and substance use among a sample of 2,016 adolescent females (grade mean=7; 77.2% White; 22.8% Black). We hypothesized that a bidirectional relationship would be observed between the two behaviors. However, given no published studies on this relationship by race, no a priori hypotheses were made for this second aim. Result showed that within the full sample dieting behavior significantly predicted substance use one year later, but the inverse relationship was not found. Additionally, this effect was replicated in the White sample but null effects in both directions was found among Black youth. These findings provide support for a temporal relationship between dieting behavior and substance use, such that the former predicts risk for the latter. Moreover, although there is evidence of race differences in the risk pathway, further research is needed to confirm this effect. Future studies are also needed to determine whether this observed temporal relationship is present among adolescent females of other racial/ethnic groups, as well as if the relationship varies as a function of other demographic variables, such as age (e.g., early, mid, or late-adolescence).
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    Examining the unique and additive effect of trauma and racial microaggressions on substance use risk among Black young adults
    (American Psychological Association, 2023) Zapolski, Tamika C. B.; Rowe, Alia T.; Clifton, Richelle L.; Khazvand, Shirin; Crichlow, Queenisha J.; Faidley, Micah; Psychology, School of Science
    Objective: Exposure to traumatic events is linked to adverse health outcomes, including substance use. Contemporary models have conceptualized racism, including racial microaggressions, as a form of trauma. However, few studies have been conducted examining the unique and additive effect of racial microaggressions within models that include exposure to traditional forms of trauma on substance use outcomes, as well as whether effects vary by gender. Method: Three hundred and ninety-nine Black young adults between 18 and 29 (61% female, mean age 20.7) completed measures on problem alcohol and cannabis use, and experiences of trauma and racial microaggressions. Results: Controlling for age, gender, income, race (i.e., monoracial vs. multiracial), and recruitment source, regression analyses showed that racial microaggressions predicted problem substance use above the effect of trauma exposure. Moreover, exoticization/assumptions of similarity and workplace/school microaggressions primarily accounted for the effect of racial microaggressions on substance use risk. One gender effect was found, with trauma exposure associated with lower cannabis use for Black males and a nonsignificant effect found for Black females. Conclusions: Racial microaggressions provide unique and additive understanding in risk for substance use outcomes among Black young adults above effects observed from exposure to traditional forms of trauma. This finding highlights the significance of racial microaggression on health outcomes for Black young adults and can inform future research in the area of trauma exposure and substance use risk among this population of young people.
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    Peer victimization and substance use: Understanding the indirect effect of depressive symptomatology across gender
    (Elsevier, 2018-09) Zapolski, Tamika C. B.; Rowe, Alia T.; Fisher, Sycarah; Hensel, Devon J.; Barnes-Najor, Jessica; Psychology, School of Science
    OBJECTIVE: Peer victimization in school is common, with emerging literature suggesting that it may also increase risk for substance abuse. Yet, little is known about the underlying mechanisms within this risk pathway. The objective of this study is to use a prospective 3-wave design to examine the mediating role of depressive symptomatology on the relationship between peer victimization and substance use, as well as examine if the pathway varies based on gender. METHOD: 801 youth between 6th and 12th grade completed surveys across three years, which included measures on school peer victimization, depression symptomatology and substance use. Models tested the mediational pathway between victimization, depressive symptoms, and substance use. Models were stratified by gender. RESULTS: Controlling for grade and the effect of each variable across waves, a significant indirect effect of peer victimization on substance use through depressive symptoms was found for females, with a non-significant indirect effect for males. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that female youth who are victimized by peers engage in substance use behaviors, at least in part, due to increases in depressive symptoms. Given its effect on depression, female victims may therefore benefit from coping skills training that targets emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills in order to combat increased risk for substance use behaviors as a coping response to their victimization. Further research is warranted to better understand the risk pathway for male youth who also experience peer victimization.
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    Peer Victimization, Mood Symptoms, and Alcohol Use: Examining Effects Among Diverse High School Youth
    (Springer Verlag, 2019-05) Rowe, Alia T.; Zapolski, Tamika C. B.; Hensel, Devon J.; Fisher, Sycarah; Barnes-Najor, Jessica; Psychology, School of Science
    Peer victimization is associated with alcohol use among adolescents. However, few studies have examined the mediating role of depression and anxiety, or differences by race. The current study examined the prospective relationship of peer victimization, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and alcohol use across two timeframes: 9th to 11th grade and 10th to 12th grade among African American and White youth. 2,202 high school youth (57.6% female) who identified as either African American (n=342, 15.2%) or White (n=1860, 82.6%) provided data on study variables. Path analysis among the overall sample indicated that anxiety symptoms was a significant mediator for both timeframes, with depressive symptoms mediating the pathway during the 10th to 12th grade timeframe. The findings were most consistent among White youth, with no significant indirect effects observed for African American youth. Thus, addressing depressive and anxiety symptoms may be effective targets to decrease alcohol use risk as a result of peer victimization among White youth. However, further research is needed to better understand risk models for peer victimization exposure on substance use outcomes among racial/ethnic minority youth.
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    Trauma and racial discrimination: examining their association with marijuana behaviors among black young adults
    (2022-08) Rowe, Alia T.; Zapolski, Tamika; Stewart, Jesse; Cyders, Melissa; Eliacin, Johanne
    Marijuana use has been shown to increase and peak during young adulthood (i.e., ages 18-35). However, it appears that Black individuals do not decline in use at rates similar to other race groups. Marijuana use among Black adults has been linked to more problems such as increased arrests, greater mental health disorder diagnoses, and substance dependence. The biopsychosocial model of racism and race-based theoretical framework aims to understand how factors such as racial discrimination as a traumatic event could be associated with marijuana behaviors, particularly among Black adults. The present study aims to examine the association between racial discrimination and marijuana use and problem use above and beyond trauma exposure. Further, I aimed to explore whether gender or vocation (college, community, and military) moderated the relationships. 391 Black adults (57.5% female; mean age 24.9) completed measures on marijuana use and problems, trauma exposure, and racial discrimination distress. Hierarchical linear regression and Hayes PROCESS macro were used to evaluate the study aims. Racial discrimination distress was associated with marijuana use above and beyond trauma exposure (R2=.016, p=.004). However, racial discrimination distress did not add significant variance within the model for problem marijuana use (R2=.001, p=.419). Additionally, moderation by gender and vocation were not supported in either model. Taken together, the present results support that examining psychological and health outcomes among Black young adults should include an evaluation of racial discrimination distress. Further, future studies should continue to evaluate sociodemographic factors in larger more representative community-based studies to better understand potential variation in risk among Black young adults.
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    Trends in typologies of concurrent alcohol, marijuana, and cigarette use among US adolescents: An ecological examination by sex and race/ethnicity
    (Elsevier, 2017-10) Banks, Devin E.; Rowe, Alia T.; Mpofu, Philani; Zapolski, Tamika C. B.; Department of Psychology, School of Science
    Substance use during adolescence is a public health concern due to associated physical and behavioral health consequences. Such consequences are amplified among concurrent substance users. Although sex and racial/ethnic differences in single-substance use have been observed, the current literature is inconclusive as to whether differences exist in the prevalence of concurrent use. The current study used data from the 2011–2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health to examine typologies (single and concurrent patterns) of alcohol, marijuana, and cigarette use among current adolescent users age 12–18 by sex and race/ethnicity. Participants were 14,667 White, Hispanic, African American, Asian, and Native American adolescents. The most common typology was alcohol only, followed by concurrent use of alcohol and marijuana. Weighted prevalence estimates indicated that adolescent females were more likely to be current users of alcohol only, whereas male adolescents were more likely to belong to all other typologies. Compared to Whites, racial/ethnic minorities had larger proportions of marijuana only users and were generally less likely than or equally likely to be concurrent users. One exception was for African American adolescents, who were more likely to be alcohol and marijuana users than their White counterparts. Results suggest that concurrent substance use is common among U.S. adolescents, making up over 40% of past-month use, but typologies of use vary by sex and race/ethnicity. Preventive interventions should consider all typologies of use rather than only single substance exposures and address patterns of use that are most pertinent to adolescents based on sex and race/ethnicity.