Early dating behaviors and problematic substance use in adolescence.

PURPOSE: This study examined the association between dating behaviors before age 13 and the onset of problematic substance use. METHOD: Data were analyzed from an ongoing longitudinal study of adolescents investigating behavioral factors contributing to the development of risky behaviors including substance use and sexual risk taking. Participants included 132 adolescents aged 11-12 at baseline. Most were male assigned at birth (68.2%) and non-Hispanic White (67.4%). Early dating behaviors occurring before age 13 were assessed using multiple items related to romantic interest and dating-related activities. To account for the mixed measurement scale of these variables, Factor Analysis of Mixed Data was conducted, followed by hierarchical clustering on principal components to identify distinct dating behavior profiles. Participants were classified into clusters reflecting differing levels of romantic involvement. Two distinctive clusters were identified. Problematic substance use occurring after age 13 was assessed during subsequent follow-up surveys administered every six months for up to 84 months, using the Revised Drug Use Screening Inventory. Firth's bias-reduced logistic regression models with penalized maximum likelihood estimation were used to estimate the association between early dating involvement and the onset of problematic substance use. RESULTS: Adolescents who were classified as higher involvement in early dating behaviors had higher odds problematic substance use compared to adolescents who were classified as no/limited early dating behaviors involvement (aOR=5.14, 95%CI: 2.00, 14.92). CONCLUSION: Higher early dating involvement was associated with increased odds of problematic substance use during adolescence; although dating is a normative developmental behavior, earlier involvement may signal variation in emotional and social adjustment that is associated with substance use risk.