Effects of school connectedness: Changing substance use behaviors in rural Black communities

Substance use persists as a dominant public health issue among adolescents; although less prevalent amongst adolescents in rural Black settings, the consequences are more serious. Black youth who use substances are more likely to be prosecuted and convicted for drug related charges. Few studies have assessed the protective effects of school connectedness, community connectedness, and community safety on substance use among rural Black adolescents. Data were collected using an anonymous survey administered to 1,059 middle and high-school students in rural Georgia. Participants were primarily male (51.4%) and White (64.5%) and included 288 Black students (27%). Structural equation modeling was used to study school connectedness, substance use, and contextual predictors among rural Black adolescents. Overall, White students were more likely to report current or ever use of smoking behaviors, smokeless tobacco behaviors, and alcohol behaviors. Black and White students reported nearly equal rates of current marijuana use; however, Black students were more likely to report ever using marijuana. Significant protective factors against substance use for Blacks were community connectedness, community safety, and teacher support (p<.05). Religion, family involvement, and community safety had a significant positive relationship with school connectedness for Blacks (p<.001). Differences in race were found for the effect of substance use on community safety, teacher support, and refusal efficacy (p<.05), and for the effect of school connectedness on self-control, social support, and teacher support (p<.05). This study highlights the importance of school connectedness and teacher support in rural Black adolescents, which could facilitate the development of tailored anti-drug programs.