Influence of parental smoking on the use of alcohol and illicit drugs among adolescents

Prevalência e Caracterização do Consumo de Tabaco entre Adolescentes de Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, 2019-2020

Introdução: As doenças tabaco-relacionadas são responsáveis por cinco milhões de óbitos a cada ano. Em 2020, estimou-se que o número de óbitos anuais aumentaria para dez milhões, dos quais 70% ocorreriam nos países em desenvolvimento. Objetivo: Estimar a prevalência do tabagismo e caracterizar o consumo de tabaco entre adolescentes de 12 e de 15 anos na cidade de Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, em 2019-2020. Método: Estudo epidemiológico quantitativo transversal, parte do projeto “Levantamento epidemiológico sobre condições de saúde bucal entre escolares de Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brasil”, realizado em 2019-2020. A amostra estimada foi de 354 escolares de 12 anos e 355 de 15 anos, calculada entre 4.458 escolares de 12 anos e 4.524 de 15 anos, respectivamente. Os dados foram analisados descritivamente por meio de medidas de tendência central, variância e frequência. Resultados: Houve prevalência do uso de tabaco entre adolescentes alguma vez na vida de 8,6 %, sendo 4,6% relativos ao consumo do cigarro Paiol. Conclusão: A prevalência do consumo encontrada entre os adolescentes e preocupante por causa dos efeitos deletérios a saúde. Conhecer o perfil dos desses usuários pode contribuir para as políticas de saúde coletiva com o objetivo de reduzir o seu uso.

International Multicenter Study on Drug Consumption in Nursing Students

Background: The prevalence of illicit drug use among young people is high, with many being highly vulnerable to substance abuse. The nursing profession is not immune to the impacts of substance misuse. Knowing the current levels of consumption of illicit drugs in nursing students will allow for the introduction of preventive actions. Methods: Multi-center, descriptive, and cross-sectional study involving nursing schools from four different countries (Spain, Belgium, France, and Brazil). A total of seven centers participated. An adapted version of the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) was used as a tool, which selected only the module on illicit drugs. Standard logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: A total of 496 nursing students participated in the study. Illicit drug shows positive representation among nursing students. A significant difference was observed between the gender and the age of first drug use, illicit drug consumption, cannabis use, and cocaine use ever in life, with higher use of illicit drugs by male, although at later ages than girls. The bivariate analysis, gender, problems as result of drugs, and nationality were significantly associated with the consumption of illicit drugs, cannabis, cocaine, and ecstasy ever in life. Conclusions: High rates of illicit drug use were found among nursing students, as well as factors that can influence consumption such as nationality or gender. These results can serve as a basis for the development of educational and policy interventions within nursing schools that are based on evidence, with significant implications for nurse educators, academic administrators, and practice.

Psychosocial and socio-environmental factors associated with adolescents' tobacco and other substance use in Bangladesh

BACKGROUND

Tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana are the top three substances used by adolescents. The adverse health effects of these three substances are well documented in epidemiological literature, yet little is known about the substance use and associated factors among adolescents in Bangladesh. This study examines the risk factors for tobacco and other substances use among school-going adolescents in Bangladesh.

METHODS

We analyzed data from the 2014 Bangladesh Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) of adolescents aged 13-17 years. We used two outcome measures: tobacco use (TU) and other substance use (SU; alcohol and/or marijuana). We examined a set of reported psychosocial and socio-environmental adverse events as risk factors. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify associations.

RESULTS

The prevalence of TU and other SU among school-going adolescents was 9.6% and 2.3%, respectively. The likelihood of TU and other SU was higher among adolescents who reported being bullied (TU: adjusted odd ratio [AOR]: 1.93; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.24-3.00; and other SU: AOR: 3.43; 95% CI: 1.46-7.99) and having sexual history (TU: AOR: 19.38; 95% CI: 12.43-30.21; and other SU: AOR: 5.34; 95% CI: 2.17-13.29). Moreover, anxiety-related sleep loss was associated with adolescents' TU (AOR: 2.41; 95% CI: 1.02-5.82) whereas the likelihood of other SU (AOR: 3.27; 95% CI: 1.14-9.44) was higher among lonely adolescents. Experience of adverse socio-environmental factors, such as parental substance use (TU: AOR: 7.81; 95% CI: 5.08-12.01), poor monitoring (TU: AOR: 1.96; 95% CI: 1.16-3.31) and poor understanding (TU: AOR: 2.22; 95% CI: 1.36-3.65), and lack of peer support (TU: AOR: 3.13; 95% CI: 1.84-5.31; and other SU: AOR: 2.45; 95% CI: 1.02-5.91), and truancy (other SU: AOR: 4.29; 95% CI: 1.81-10.12) were also positively associated with TU and/or other SU. Additionally, higher odds of tobacco use were observed among adolescents who reported 1 (AOR: 4.36 times; 95% CI: 1.34-14.24), 2 (AOR: 8.69 95% CI: 1.67-28.23), and ≥3 (AOR: 17.46; 95% CI: 6.20-49.23) adverse psychosocial experiences than who did not report any psychosocial events.

CONCLUSIONS

Tobacco and other substance use among school-going adolescents are prevalent in Bangladesh. Several psychosocial and socio-environmental events are associated with TU and other SU, which should be incorporated into adolescent substance use and health promotion programs.

Alcohol Use and Misuse Among School-Going Adolescents in Thailand: Results of a National Survey in 2015

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of alcohol use and misuse, and to identify its associated factors among in-school adolescents in the 2015 Thailand Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS). The sample included 5994 school-going adolescents (mean age 14.5 years, SD = 1.7) from Thailand that responded to the 2015 GSHS. Overall, 22.2% were current alcohol users, 24.3% had ever been drunk, 12.1% had drunk two or more alcoholic drinks in a day in the past 30 days and 10.8% had gotten into trouble because of drinking alcohol. In adjusted Poisson regression analysis, older age, psychological distress, current tobacco use, the consumption of one or more soft drinks a day, school truancy, having been in a physical fight in the past 12 months, and having been seriously injured in the past 12 months were associated with current alcohol use. Older age, psychological distress, current tobacco use and injury also increased the odds for lifetime drunkenness, having two or more drinks in a day and trouble resulting from drinking. Soft drink consumption and having been in a physical fight also increased the odds for lifetime drunkenness and having two or more drinks in a day and school truancy also increased the odds for lifetime drunkenness and trouble resulting from drinking. In addition. Parental tobacco use was associated with lifetime drunkenness and trouble resulting from drinking, cannabis use with trouble resulting from drinking, and parental support was protective from trouble resulting from drinking. There were no significant sex differences regarding any of the four alcohol use indicators. More than one in five school-going adolescents in Thailand use and misuse alcohol, and strategies to prevent alcohol misuse, including a cluster of risk behaviours, are needed.