Participation in School Sports: Risk or Protective Factor for Drug Use among Black and White Students?.

This study examined the relationship between participation in school-based sports and drug use among Black and White high school students, using data from participants in the National Educational Longitudinal Survey of 1988 (NELS, NCES, 1988) and follow-up surveys in 1990 and 1992. While previous research produced inconsistent results, the present study revealed that participation in school-based sports was associated with a reduction in cigarette and marijuana use, thus, serving as a protective factor for Black and White students. However, the protective role of sports involvement for alcohol use was present only among Black females. Participation in sports was associated with an increase in alcohol use (serving as a risk factor) among White males and females and Black males (after controlling for conventional predictors of alcohol use in adolescence). Implications for expanding the role of sports as a potential school resource in drug use prevention planning are discussed. INTRODUCTION The widespread interest and participation of our nation's children and adolescents in sports at school and in the community have been met with mixed reactions. Involvement in sports can contribute positively to the overall development of young people in terms of both health and social benefits (Braddock, 1989). Yet, the widespread appeal of sports has been a target for critics who argue that an overemphasis on athletics, especially among many African American and inner-city youth, can lead to underachievement in academics. For example, despite tremendous odds against reaching professional athletic status, many young people who hold such aspirations may devote little time and effort preparing for alternative careers requiring abilities and skills gained through successful academic performance. For this reason and others, debates over school reform have often included interscholastic athletic programs among school activities targeted for curtailment or termination when proposals are made for curriculum change and fiscal trimming. Although defenders of school-based athletics allude to the potential benefits of sports in addressing educational and social problems faced by some students, empirical evidence to support such claims is often absent. The belief that school-based athletics are expendable since they are part of the extracurricular activities rather than the regular academic curriculum of schools provides the central basis for cutting school-based athletic programs and overshadows considerations of sports as a potentially positive social intervention. Therefore, policy debates over the appropriate place for athletics in educational reform are usually not informed by extensive research and empirical evidence to support the assumption that participation in sports is relatively less important than other aspects of school organization in contributing to the development of students in ways that promote student success in school and life. Among the unexplored issues where research may inform policy decisions is the potential benefit of school sports in the primary prevention of risky behaviors. For example, substance abuse in the school setting is a significant correlate of academic failure, absenteeism, dropout rate, and delinquency (Pagan & Pabon, 1990; Kandel, Simcha-Fagan, & Davies, 1986; Newcomb, Maddahian, & Bentler, 1986; Paulson, Coombs, & Richardson, 1990; Swadi, 1992). Therefore, if participation in school sports lowers the risk of drug use, then indirect benefits to student success will be achieved. However, an important question related to sports in the search for alternative activities to achieve the aim of preventing drug abuse is whether participation in school-based sports serves as a risk or protection against involvement in drugs. This question is particularly important to address in the context of school reform since supporters argue that participation in school-based sports may serve as a "protective" factor, which reduces risks of drug-related problems, thus, establishing a direct role for sports involvement to play in facilitating overall academic success. …