Externalizing behavior and substance use related problems at 15 years in prenatally cocaine exposed adolescents

• Published in: Journal of adolescence (London, England.) Vol. 37; no. 3; pp. 269 - 279
• Main Authors: Min, Meeyoung O, Minnes, Sonia, Lang, Adelaide, Weishampel, Paul, Short, Elizabeth J, Yoon, Susan, Singer, Lynn T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-04-2014; Elsevier; John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Subjects: Addictive behaviors; Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; Adolescents; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aggression; Behavior Problems; Biological and medical sciences; Child Behavior Disorders - etiology; Cocaine; Drug use; Externalizing behavior; Female; Foster Care; Humans; Internal-External Control; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Mothers; Parental monitoring; Pediatrics; Pregnancy; Prenatal cocaine exposure; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Regression analysis; Social Class; Socioeconomic Status; Substance Abuse; Substance use; Substance-Related Disorders - etiology; Teenagers; Violence exposure; Substance use; Prenatal cocaine exposure; Parental monitoring; Externalizing behavior; Violence exposure; Human; Substance abuse; Exposure; Behavioral disorder; Prenatal; Ester; Concomitant disease; Adolescent; Risk factor; Cocaine; Drug of abuse
• ISSN: 0140-1971; 1095-9254
• DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2014.01.004

Abstract The effect of prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) on externalizing behavior and substance use related problems at 15 years of age was examined. Participants consisted of 358 adolescents (183 PCE, 175 non-cocaine exposed (NCE)), primarily African–American and of low socioeconomic status, prospectively enrolled in a longitudinal study from birth. Regression analyses indicated that the amount of PCE was associated with higher externalizing behavioral problems ( β  = .15, p  = .02). Adolescents with PCE were also 2.8 times (95% CI = 1.38–5.56) more likely to have substance use related problems than their NCE counterparts. No differences between PCE adolescents in non-kinship adoptive/foster care ( n  = 44) and PCE adolescents in maternal/relative care ( n  = 139) were found in externalizing behavior or in the likelihood of substance use related problems. Findings demonstrate teratologic effects of PCE persisting into adolescence. PCE is a reliable marker for the potential development of problem behaviors in adolescence, including substance use related problems.