The effect of school transitions on rural seventh and ninth grade students' substance use

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the school transition factors associated with the potential for adolescent substance use. Specifically, this research investigated the relationship between the type of school transition (early K-5 vs. delayed K-6 and one feeder vs. multiple feeders) and the substance use of 9,650 seventh and ninth grade students surveyed from 1996-2000 in 29 rural communities across the United States using the Community Drug and Alcohol Survey.

The following dependent variables were examined: 1) substance use divided into three categories: a) alcohol b) marijuana c) inhalants. Independent variables were: 1) type of school transitions; 2) gender; 3) grade; 4) school adjustment divided into three measures: a) attitude toward school, b) attitude toward teachers, c) school performance; and 5) peer substance use climate divided into three measures: a) substance use of peers, b) peer encouragement to use substances, c) peer sanctions against substance use.

Because there was limited research on effects of school transitions, and virtually no empirical data on the effects of school transitions on school adjustment, peer substance use climate, or adolescent substance use, effects were first examined by using MANOVA analyses. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used in the final step of the analysis to determine the effects of school transitions on substance use (alcohol, marijuana, and inhalants), first considering the independent effects of school transitions then with gender, school adjustment, and peer substance use climate variables being controlled.

Time of transition (early vs. delayed) results from MANOVA analyses showed non-significant effects in seventh grade emerging as significant effects in ninth grade. Seventh and ninth graders from multiple feeder schools reported stronger peer influences to use substances and higher marijuana use. Ninth graders from multiple feeder schools reported higher alcohol use. Hierarchical multiple regression results revealed that time of transition was statistically significant for ninth grade alcohol use and number of feeder schools had a statistically significant effect for seventh and ninth grade marijuana use, but these transitions accounted for only a very small portion of the variance (less than 1%) so should be interpreted with caution.