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Nicotine and cannabis use patterns among a diverse adolescent population.
Stephanie Colins MPH(c), Mikaela Rojas MPH(c), Maria Rivera-Guevara MPH, Eric Shanazari
MPH, Myriam Forster Ph.D., MPH
Background: Adolescent use of nicotine and cannabis products, including dual use, has become
increasingly prevalent, raising public health concerns about respiratory issues, evolving nicotine and cannabis product market, and risk of addiction. Despite increased research attention on youths’ nicotine and cannabis use, few studies have investigated the influence of developmental assets (DAs) (strengths and support in the personal, social, family, school, and community domains) in adolescents’ nicotine and cannabis use patterns. This study examined the association between DA scores and nicotine and cannabis use, including dual use, among a diverse sample of high school students.
Methods: Data are survey responses (N=1,973) from diverse high school students enrolled in a
school-based study investigating risk and protective factors for mental and behavioral health outcomes. Multinomial regression models tested the hypothesized association between DA scores and nicotine, cannabis, and dual product use, adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, poverty status, and state.
Results: On average, the sample was 16 (SD=1.8) years old; 52% were female, 30% identified
as Hispanic, 25% as non-Hispanic White, 20% as African American, 15% as Asian/Pacific
Islander, and 10% as Multiethnic. Every unit increase in family DA scores was associated with
lower risk for nicotine product use (RRR=0.96, 95%CI: [0.92, 0.99]) while higher social
competency scores were associated with reduced risk for cannabis product use (RRR=0.92,95%CI: [0.86, 0.98 ]). Higher personal DA scores (RRR=0.90,95%CI [0.85, 0.95]) and family DA scores (RRR=0.96, 95%CI [0.93, 0.99]) were associated with reduced risk of dual product use(nicotine + cannabis).
Conclusion: Robust DAs, particularly in the personal, family, and social domains, lower the risk
of nicotine and cannabis product use, especially dual product use. Future research should
continue to explore the interplay of individual, familial, and contextual factors to inform the
development of effective prevention strategies.
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