Alcohol Abuse and Conduct Disorder Among African-American Male Adolescent COAs and NonCOAs

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Abstract
This study sought to determine the proportion of adolescents who are children of alcoholics (COAs) in a sample of 595 African-American males aged 13 to 17 years, and to investigate the relationship between alcohol and conduct disorder among COAs and nonCOAs. The instruments used were the Children of Alcoholics Screening Test (CAST) and a condensed version of the Children's Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism (C-SAGA). Results showed that 23% of the adolescents were COAs. Twenty-seven percent of the COAs were alcohol abusers as compared to 17% of nonCOAs, while 78% of COAs as opposed to 69% of nonCOAs were involved in conduct disorder. Chi-square analysis examined the difference between COAs and nonCOAs on the specific subtypes of conduct disorder and showed COAs to be at a greater chance of engaging in such activities on five of the 13, notably: stealing without confrontation/forgery, running away from home, lying, deliberately setting fire, and breaking into property. Those COAs who abused alcohol were at a greater chance than the nonCOAs abusers of engaging in nine of the 13 subtypes of conduct disorder.

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