Findings are limited by the homogeneity of the sample; the reliance on self-reports; and the use of a broad, manifest measure of alcohol- and other drug-related consequences in adolescence. Note that alcohol is the most commonly used substance in this sample of rural adolescents, and that the adverse consequences measure displayed predictive validity in its relationship to subsequent alcohol use and alcohol problems. Still, additional analyses with more diverse samples and richer assessments are needed. In particular, although this study helps fill the need for further research on adolescents in rural settings, the current analyses should be conducted with data collected from samples of urban and suburban teens to determine if the findings hold. Finally, gender moderation analyses can only be considered exploratory due to the small sample size.
