Adolescent Alcohol Use in Rural Areas: What Are the Issues?

Funder:	Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Research center:	Maine Rural Health Research Center Phone: 207.780.4513
Lead researchers:	John A. Gale, MS David Hartley, PhD, MHA
Contacts:	John A. Gale, MS, 207.228.8246, jgale@usm.maine.edu David Hartley, PhD, MHA, 207.780.4513, davidh@usm.maine.edu
Project funded:	September 2008
Anticipated completion date:	January 2012
Topic:	Substance abuse

Problem: Previous research has shown that rural adolescents are more likely to use alcohol than those in urban areas adolescents and that the more rural the area, the higher the use. Moreover, current knowledge suggests that risk and protective factors may operate differently for rural adolescents. Methods: This study will use five years of NSDUH pooled data to examine the underlying factors that account for urban-rural and intra-rural differences in adolescent alcohol use and how this knowledge may be used to develop targeted alcohol prevention and intervention programs for rural youth. The specific research questions we wish to address are:

What are the prevalence and use patterns of adolescent alcohol (e.g. rates of past month use, age of first use, binge and heavy drinking and driving under the influence) across the urban-rural continuum? Do prevalence rates and use patterns vary by age, gender, ethnicity/race, and geographic region?

What is relationship of developmental, individual, and environmental factors on adolescent alcohol use across the urban rural continuum?

What is the relationship and relative importance of, key protective and risk factors in explaining intra-rural variations in adolescent alcohol use? Do these factors vary by age, gender, ethnicity, and geographic region?

How may this information inform the development of prevention and early intervention strategies targeting rural areas and populations?

Products: Anticipated products from this project include a Working Paper and associated Research & Policy brief, along with articles to be submitted to appropriate peer reviewed journals. The study dissemination strategy will engage the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health, the National Association of Rural Mental Health, the National Council of State Legislators, and the National Association of Counties. Copies of available publications will be provided to the Rural Health Research Gateway listserv, the Rural Assistance Center, and the HRSA Information Center.