Predictive Factors of Substance Use among Adolescents in Argentina: A Longitudinal Study

Authors

  • Paola Morello Centro de Estudios de Estado y Sociedad, CEDES, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Adriana Pérez Centro de Estudios de Estado y Sociedad, CEDES, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Lorena Peña Centro de Estudios de Estado y Sociedad, CEDES, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Sandra Noemí Braun Centro de Estudios de Estado y Sociedad, CEDES, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • James F. Thrasher Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA. Departamento de Investigación sobre Tabaco, Centro de Investigación en Salud Poblacional, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Méxic
  • Raúl Mejía Centro de Estudios de Estado y Sociedad, CEDES, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina

Keywords:

Tobacco, Alcohol, Illicit Drugs, Adolescents, Argentina

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The use of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs usually starts during the adolescence. In Argentina, it happens at an increasingly younger age. The purpose of the study was to explore social and personal factors that can predict the start of consumption among adolescents in this country. METHODS: In 2014, an anonymous self-administered survey was conducted among first-year secondary school students in 33 public and private schools in Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Tucumán, that was repeated in the same students the following year. The survey included sociodemographic and personal aspects and also inquired about smoking among friends and family, as well as personal use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine or paco. Multilevel logistic regression with random intercept for schools was applied to determine the association between the independent variables and the start of consumption of each substance at follow-up. RESULTS: In 2014, 3172 students completed the baseline survey and 2018 of them (64%) also completed the follow-up. In 2015, 16.4% of the students were current smokers, 49.8% were current drinkers and 10.8% were using illicit drugs. Being a woman and having a high sensation seeking index predicted both tobacco and alcohol use. Being a smoker, a drinker, having friends who use illicit drugs and older age predicted consumption of illicit drugs. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to identify students with a high sensation seeking index, as it is the common risk factor for the use of all these substances

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Published

30-09-2019

How to Cite

Morello , P. ., Pérez, A. ., Peña , L. ., Braun , S. N. ., Thrasher, J. F. ., & Mejía , R. . (2019). Predictive Factors of Substance Use among Adolescents in Argentina: A Longitudinal Study. Revista Argentina De Salud Pública, 10(40), 32–38. Retrieved from https://rasp.msal.gov.ar/index.php/rasp/article/view/484