Decreasing trends in alcohol use among African American youth: 2006–2019, USA

Introduction: Although African American individuals are less likely to report alcohol use, compared to other ethnic groups, African Americans experience greater risk for health problems and negative consequences due to substance use initiation. A greater exploration into trends of use may influence harm reduction efforts. The present study sought to assess trends in past month alcohol use among a large sample of African American youth. Methods: Pooled data from the 2006–2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health were utilized among 30,576 youth ages 12–17-years old. Weighted trends analyses were conducted to determine differences on past month alcohol use. Results: There was a significant linear decrease in alcohol use among African American youth, such that as each year passed, the odds of alcohol use declined, aOR: 0.94, p <.0001. Marginal predicted probabilities revealed that African American girls had the highest odds of use, while 16–17-18-year-olds had the highest odds of past month drinking. Conclusions: Findings from the present study may inform health initiatives.