Methodological Challenges and Insights in Research on Racial Discrimination and Substance Use Among Black College Students: A Scoping Review

JaNiene E Peoples; Benjamin Montemayor; Daniela Tuda; Hannah S Szlyk; Philip Baiden; Sheretta T Butler-Barnes

doi:10.1007/s40615-025-02491-w

Methodological Challenges and Insights in Research on Racial Discrimination and Substance Use Among Black College Students: A Scoping Review

J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2025 May 28. doi: 10.1007/s40615-025-02491-w. Online ahead of print.

Authors

JaNiene E Peoples¹, Benjamin Montemayor², Daniela Tuda^{3

4}, Hannah S Szlyk⁵, Philip Baiden⁶, Sheretta T Butler-Barnes³

Affiliations

¹ Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1196, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA. e.peoples@wustl.edu.
² Department of Health Behavior, Texas A&M University School of Public Health, 212 Adriance Lab Rd, SPH-A Rm 319, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
³ Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1196, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
⁴ New York State Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence, New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Ave, Box 8134, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
⁶ School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Arlington, 211 S. Cooper St., Box 19129, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA.

PMID: 40437160
DOI: 10.1007/s40615-025-02491-w

Abstract

Background: Despite growing evidence that racial discrimination is associated with substance use among Black Americans, the existing research on Black college students has not been synthesized. In response, this scoping review investigated the state of research on racial discrimination and substance use among Black college students in the United States (U.S.).

Methods: Using PRISMA-ScR reporting guidelines, we searched 23 databases and screened 254 non-duplicative titles and abstracts published from earliest records to December 2022. We extracted key study characteristics and described results through a narrative synthesis of the evidence.

Results: Eighteen studies met inclusion criteria. Studies primarily comprised Black undergraduates (Female > 50%, MAge = 20.9 years) from single institutions. Most studies found a significant positive association between racial discrimination and alcohol, with stronger evidence for consequences than consumption. Findings for cannabis, tobacco use, and binge drinking were less consistent. Eleven studies employed complex modeling (i.e., mediation and moderation analyses), but most (17) were cross-sectional and assessed retrospective self-reports. Both single-item and multi-item measures were used to assess racial discrimination, predominantly capturing overt individual-level experiences. Several discriminatory experiences received scant attention, and most studies lacked an explicit theoretical justification for analyses.

Conclusion: This review highlights that racial discrimination impacts substance use risk among Black college students through various pathways. With rising sociopolitical tensions in the U.S. and on college campuses, there is an urgent need for targeted prevention efforts at both institutional and individual levels. We identified critical gaps in evidence and provided recommendations to enhance methodological rigor in future research.

Keywords: Alcohol consequences; Black college students; Methodology; Racial discrimination; Scoping review; Substance use.

Publication types

Review

Abstract

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