The Longitudinal Association Between Exposure to Violence and Patterns of Health Risk Behaviors Among African American Youth.

Purpose: We investigate whether exposure to violence (ETV) during adolescence and emerging adulthood predicts engagement in chronic disease-related health risk behaviors years later among African Americans.

Design: A longitudinal study following youth from mid-adolescence (mean age = 14.8 years) to young adulthood (mean age = 32.0 years).

Setting: Flint, Michigan.

Sample: Four hundred forty-two African American (96.2%) and mixed African American and White (3.8%) participants.

Measures: Outcomes were diet, smoking, drinking, and physical inactivity. Covariates were ETV, sex, mother's educational attainment, and substance use by siblings, peers, and parents.

Analysis: Latent profile analysis was conducted to identify distinct patterns of adult health risk behaviors and assess the association of youth ETV and identified patterns.

Results: Four latent profiles were identified: = 46; 10.41%) = 71; 16.06%) ( = 140; 31.67%) and = 185, 41.86%). Relative to the profile, ETV was associated with being in the , but not other profiles. Female gender and higher maternal education were associated with being in the compared to the profile. Peer alcohol and tobacco use were associated with being in the profile.

Conclusion: ETV during adolescence and emerging adulthood increased the risk of engagement in multiple health risk behaviors later in life.