The Moderating Effects of Perceived Social Benefits on Inhalant Initiation Among American Indian and White Youth

Risks associated with early initation of substance use are numerous.  While most prior research has focused on early-onset drinking and cannabis use, there is considerable evidence regarding risks associated with early inhalant use.  This study examined whether perceived social benefits moderated the relationship between social influence variables (school attachment, peer inhalant use, perceived family caring, parental monitoring) and stage of inhalant initation (Study 1) and lifetime inhalant use (Study 2).  Participants were 7th-12th grade students attending schools on or near American Indian reservations.  A total of 3498 American Indian and 1596 white students were surveyed.  Differences in mean levels of scoial influence variables were found across ethnicity and stage of inhalant initiation and lifetime inhalant use.  SEM models were evaluated to examine variable relationships for the two studies.  For Study 1, social influence variables did not clearly differentiate early vs. later inhalant initiators, and perceived social benefits failed to serve as a moderator.  More differences were observed between users and non-users across measures of social influence (Study 2).  Perceived social benefits generally did not moderate the relationships with two exceptions.  Low perceived social benefits provided greater protection agains the influence of peers on lifetime inhalant use among white students, while high perceived social benefits increased risk of peer influence among American Indian students.