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Marijuana use trajectories during the post-college transition: health outcomes in young adulthood.
- Source :
-
Drug and alcohol dependence [Drug Alcohol Depend] 2012 Oct 01; Vol. 125 (3), pp. 267-75. Date of Electronic Publication: 2012 Mar 30. - Publication Year :
- 2012
-
Abstract
- Background: Despite the relatively high prevalence of marijuana use among college students, little information exists regarding health outcomes associated with different use patterns or trajectories.<br />Methods: Seven annual personal interviews (years 1-7) were administered to 1253 individuals, beginning in their first year in college. Growth mixture modeling was used to identify trajectories of marijuana, alcohol, and tobacco use frequency during years 1-6. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationship between marijuana use trajectories and several year 7 health outcomes, holding constant year 1 health, demographics, and alcohol and tobacco use trajectories.<br />Results: Six marijuana use trajectories were identified: non-use (71.5% (wt) of students), low-stable (10.0% (wt)), late-increase (4.7% (wt)), early-decline (4.3% (wt)), college-peak (5.4% (wt)), and chronic (4.2% (wt)). The six marijuana trajectory groups were not significantly different on year 1 health-related variables, but differed on all ten year 7 health outcomes tested, including functional impairment due to injury, illness, or emotional problems; general health rating; psychiatric symptoms; health-related quality of life; and service utilization for physical and mental health problems. Non-users fared significantly better than most of the marijuana-using trajectory groups on every outcome tested. Chronic and late-increase users had the worst health outcomes.<br />Conclusions: Marijuana use patterns change considerably during college and the post-college period. Marijuana-using students appear to be at risk for adverse health outcomes, especially if they increase or sustain a frequent pattern of use.<br /> (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Subjects :
- Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Alcohol Drinking epidemiology
Bayes Theorem
Demography
Female
Health Services statistics & numerical data
Health Status
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Mental Disorders complications
Mental Disorders epidemiology
Mid-Atlantic Region epidemiology
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Quality of Life
Regression Analysis
Socioeconomic Factors
Tobacco Use Disorder epidemiology
Universities
Young Adult
Marijuana Abuse epidemiology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1879-0046
- Volume :
- 125
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Drug and alcohol dependence
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 22464050
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2012.02.022