As expected, mean prevalence rates for past-month risk behavior at pretest, when the youth were 11 years old, were low: .09 for alcohol use (SD = .63), .01 for marijuana use (SD = .20), and .04 for sexual intercourse (SD = .40). The mean risk behavior index score at pretest was .14 (SD = .86). Frequency of past-month risk behavior rates increased over time. At long-term follow-up, when the youth were 14 years old, mean past-month frequencies were .19 for alcohol use (SD = .77), .03 for marijuana use (SD = .27), and .21 for sexual intercourse (SD = 1.25). The mean risk behavior index score was .37, SD = 1.56. These low rates of risk behavior for African American youth during early adolescence are consistent with data from other studies (20).
