The social ecology of urban adolescent substance use: A case study utilizing geographic information systems

Adolescents drawn from an urban primary care setting were interviewed to understand the relationship between their social networks, their environment, and their health outcomes such as substance use, depression, and stress. A case study was constructed from this small convenience sample to illustrate the methodology of creating a 3-dimentional ecological profile that helps explain these relationships and provides preventive applications. The profiles consisted of personal risk (substance use, depression, stress) social risk (social network members drug use, pressure to use, negative activities) and environmental risk (number of crimes, poverty level, alcohol outlets, boys and girls clubs, libraries) levels. Geographic information system (GIS) was used to integrate teens' subjective interpretation of their environments with objective environmental information to form a 3-dimensional social ecological profile.