Families were selected for participation using targeted-age directory and random digit dialing (RDD) sampling of families in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (population 1.3 million) which includes the city of Pittsburgh. Directory listings were provided by Survey Sampling Inc. (Fairfield, CT) and RDD lists were provided by Genesys Sampling Systems (Ft. Washington, PA). Recruitment goals included equal numbers of 8- and 10-year-olds (half of each age cohort female) and the child’s biological mother, and over-sampling of single-mother-headed and African-American families (Allegheny County is 13% African-American based on data from the U.S. Census; U.S. Census Bureau, 2007). Cohorts of 8- and 10-year old children were recruited to capture children before they had initiated regular alcohol use and to establish an accelerated longitudinal design.
