TY - JOUR
T1 - Predictors of Early-Onset Cannabis Use in Adolescence and Risks for Substance Use Disorder Symptoms in Young Adulthood
AU - Merrin, Gabriel J.
AU - Leadbeater, Bonnie J.
AU - Sturgess, Clea M.B.
AU - Ames, Megan E.
AU - Thompson, Kara
N1 - Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The Victoria Healthy Youth Survey study has been financially supported by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (#88476; #79917; #192583; #130500; SHI-155410).
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2021.
PY - 2022/4
Y1 - 2022/4
N2 - Early detection of risks for substance use disorders is essential to lifelong health and well-being for some youth. Very early-onset use is proposed as an indicator of risk for substance use disorders, but risk and protective factors related to early-onset use have not been identified. The current study compared risk and protective factors that distinguish early- and late-onset cannabis users from abstainers using data collected from a large community sample. The study also examined onset-group differences in participants’ reports of substance use disorder symptoms a decade later. Heavy episodic drinking (early-onset: OR = 7.29 CI = [1.60, 33.19]) and engagement with peers involved in deviant behaviors (early-onset: OR = 2.50 CI = [1.50, 4.13]) are risk factors for early-onset cannabis use. Protective factors, including parent monitoring (early-onset: OR = 0.73 CI = [0.58, 0.93]), engagement with peers involved in positive behaviors (early-onset: OR = 0.54 CI = [0.39, 0.76]), school engagement (early-onset: OR = 0.83 CI = [0.72, 0.96]), and academic grades (early-onset: OR = 0.37 CI = [0.21, 0.65]) also predicted early versus later onset-group differences. Early age of onset may be distinctly related to risk and protective factors previously associated with risks for substance use in all adolescents.
AB - Early detection of risks for substance use disorders is essential to lifelong health and well-being for some youth. Very early-onset use is proposed as an indicator of risk for substance use disorders, but risk and protective factors related to early-onset use have not been identified. The current study compared risk and protective factors that distinguish early- and late-onset cannabis users from abstainers using data collected from a large community sample. The study also examined onset-group differences in participants’ reports of substance use disorder symptoms a decade later. Heavy episodic drinking (early-onset: OR = 7.29 CI = [1.60, 33.19]) and engagement with peers involved in deviant behaviors (early-onset: OR = 2.50 CI = [1.50, 4.13]) are risk factors for early-onset cannabis use. Protective factors, including parent monitoring (early-onset: OR = 0.73 CI = [0.58, 0.93]), engagement with peers involved in positive behaviors (early-onset: OR = 0.54 CI = [0.39, 0.76]), school engagement (early-onset: OR = 0.83 CI = [0.72, 0.96]), and academic grades (early-onset: OR = 0.37 CI = [0.21, 0.65]) also predicted early versus later onset-group differences. Early age of onset may be distinctly related to risk and protective factors previously associated with risks for substance use in all adolescents.
KW - adolescence
KW - cannabis use
KW - early-onset
KW - risk and protective factors
KW - substance use
KW - young adulthood
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85117117347&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/00220426211049356
DO - 10.1177/00220426211049356
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85117117347
VL - 52
SP - 182
EP - 206
JO - Journal of Drug Issues
JF - Journal of Drug Issues
SN - 0022-0426
IS - 2
ER -