Cognitive predictors of intentions to use alcohol and cocaine: Are there racial differences

Research examining differences between African American and White youths drug use has focused on psychosocial determinants of these differences. This study was designed to examine differences in African American and White children's causal understanding, knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes regarding drugs to assist in explaining differences in rates of drug use. Cognitive and attitudinal variables were used to predict African American and White children's intentions to use alcohol and cocaine, and racial differences in these variables were examined. There were no racial differences in causal understanding of how drugs affect the body, beliefs about the long-term health effects of drugs, or expectancies about the behavioral effects of using drugs in a sample of third to sixth grade African-American and White students (N = 317). However, African American children had less positive attitudes toward, and weaker intentions to use, alcohol than White children in this study. Additionally, grade was a significant predictor of cognitive and attitudinal variables of, and intentions to use, alcohol and cocaine for both races.; Older children were more positive toward alcohol but less positive toward cocaine than younger children. Models used to predict alcohol intentions included different variables for each racial group, but were equally predictive for African American and White children (48% vs. 47% variance explained, respectively). Models to predict cocaine intentions were more similar, with the model being slightly more predictive for White children in this study (36% vs. 32% variance explained, respectively). Socio-economic status was not a mediator of the relationship between race and intentions to use alcohol; however, attitude was. It appears that at this age racial differences in children's attitudes toward drugs are a more significant factor in explaining racial differences in their intentions to use drug than are racial differences in causal understanding, beliefs about the effects of drugs on behavior and health, or socioeconomic status. Implications for drug prevention programs are discussed.