The Influence of Risk and Protective Factors on adolescent alcohol, Cannabis, and Electronic Cigarette Use.

Introduction:
This text is a summary of a research study examining the influence of a specific set of risk and protective factors on past 30-day use of alcohol, cannabis, and e-cigarettes for a school-based sample of adolescents. The study found that endorsement of four specific risk factors increased the odds of past 30-day use of the three substances tested, while endorsement of the four specific protective factors decreased the odds of substance use.

Key Points:

* The study used a complex survey design and included demographic variables such as age, gender, and racial/ethnic identification as covariates.
* The dichotomous variables of past 30-day use for alcohol, cannabis, or e-cigarettes were treated as dependent variables in three separate logistic regression models.
* higher levels of favorable attitudes toward substances significantly predicted higher odds of using either alcohol, cannabis, or e-cigarettes in the past 30-days.
* higher scores on perceived availability of substances predicted significantly higher odds of using all three substances in the past 30-days.
* higher levels of the perceived risk of a substance significantly predicted lower odds of using cannabis or e-cigarettes in the past 30-days.
* higher levels of family management significantly predicted lower odds of using any of the three substances.
* The findings suggest preventive interventions that focus on reducing risk factors and enhancing protective factors can take a broader perspective on addressing multiple substances.

Main Message:
The main message of this study is that endorsement of specific risk factors, such as favorable attitudes toward substances and perceived availability of substances, increases the odds of past 30-day use of alcohol, cannabis, and e-cigarettes in adolescents. On the other hand, endorsement of protective factors, such as perceived risk of a substance and family management, decreases the odds of substance use. The findings suggest that preventive interventions should focus on reducing risk factors and enhancing protective factors to address multiple substances, rather than focusing on individual substances.

Burrow-Sánchez JJ, R Ratcliff B. The Influence of Risk and Protective Factors on adolescent alcohol, Cannabis, and Electronic Cigarette Use. Journal of prevention (2022). 2022;43(6):801-821. doi:10.1007/s10935-022-00700-4