TY - JOUR
T1 - Predictors of substance use among vulnerable adolescents in five cities
T2 - Findings from the well-being of adolescents in vulnerable environments study
AU - Olumide, Adesola O.
AU - Robinson, Allysha C.
AU - Levy, Paul A.
AU - Mashimbye, Lawrence
AU - Brahmbhatt, Heena
AU - Lian, Qiguo
AU - Ojengbede, Oladosu
AU - Sonenstein, Freya L.
AU - Blum, Robert W.
N1 - Funding Information:
The Well-Being of Adolescents in Vulnerable Environments Study was funded in Ibadan by The Bill and Melinda Gates Institute at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health through its funding to The Centre for Population and Reproductive Health (JHSPH no. 2000075627), University of Ibadan. In all the other sites, the WAVE study was funded by The Young Health Program, a partnership between AstraZeneca, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Plan International.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine.
PY - 2014/12/1
Y1 - 2014/12/1
N2 - Purpose Adolescent substance use has numerous consequences. Our goals in this article are to compare the prevalence and correlates of substance use among ethnically diverse adolescents.Methods Data were from 2,332 adolescents aged 15-19 years recruited via respondent-driven sampling from disadvantaged settings in five cities. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify correlates of current substance use.Results About half of the respondents were male. Most adolescents (73.4%) were currently enrolled in school and identified a father (86.2%) and mother (98.6%) figure and strong peer support. Sixty-two percent reported lifetime use of at least one substance. Overall, the most common substances ever used were alcohol (44.6%), cigarettes (26.2%), and marijuana (17.9%). Mean age at first use of alcohol was 14.2 ± 3.1 years. Current alcohol use was highest in Johannesburg (47.4%) and lowest in Delhi (2.1%). The mean age at first use of cigarettes was 14.4 ± 2.8 years. Current cigarette smoking was highest in Johannesburg (32.5%) and lowest in Delhi (3.7%). Male gender predicted current alcohol use in all sites, older age (17-19 years) was also a predictor in Baltimore. Male gender (Johannesburg and Shanghai), older age (Baltimore and Shanghai), and being out of school (Baltimore, Johannesburg, and Shanghai) predicted current cigarette smoking. Absence of a caring father figure was predictive for current alcohol use in Baltimore and Shanghai. Stronger peer support predicted alcohol (Johannesburg and Shanghai) and cigarette use (Johannesburg).Conclusions Substance use is still a major issue among adolescents around the world, underscoring the need for continued research and interventions.
AB - Purpose Adolescent substance use has numerous consequences. Our goals in this article are to compare the prevalence and correlates of substance use among ethnically diverse adolescents.Methods Data were from 2,332 adolescents aged 15-19 years recruited via respondent-driven sampling from disadvantaged settings in five cities. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify correlates of current substance use.Results About half of the respondents were male. Most adolescents (73.4%) were currently enrolled in school and identified a father (86.2%) and mother (98.6%) figure and strong peer support. Sixty-two percent reported lifetime use of at least one substance. Overall, the most common substances ever used were alcohol (44.6%), cigarettes (26.2%), and marijuana (17.9%). Mean age at first use of alcohol was 14.2 ± 3.1 years. Current alcohol use was highest in Johannesburg (47.4%) and lowest in Delhi (2.1%). The mean age at first use of cigarettes was 14.4 ± 2.8 years. Current cigarette smoking was highest in Johannesburg (32.5%) and lowest in Delhi (3.7%). Male gender predicted current alcohol use in all sites, older age (17-19 years) was also a predictor in Baltimore. Male gender (Johannesburg and Shanghai), older age (Baltimore and Shanghai), and being out of school (Baltimore, Johannesburg, and Shanghai) predicted current cigarette smoking. Absence of a caring father figure was predictive for current alcohol use in Baltimore and Shanghai. Stronger peer support predicted alcohol (Johannesburg and Shanghai) and cigarette use (Johannesburg).Conclusions Substance use is still a major issue among adolescents around the world, underscoring the need for continued research and interventions.
KW - Adolescents
KW - Global health
KW - Health behaviors social determinants of health
KW - Health disparities
KW - Substance use
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84918822425&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84918822425&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.08.024
DO - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.08.024
M3 - Article
C2 - 25454001
AN - SCOPUS:84918822425
SN - 1054-139X
VL - 55
SP - S39-S47
JO - Journal of Adolescent Health
JF - Journal of Adolescent Health
IS - 6
ER -