Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Evolution of Prevalence and Patterns of Cannabis Use among First-Year University Students in Spain—UniHcos Project

Lorena Botella-Juan, Carmen Amezcua-Prieto, María M. Morales-Suarez-Varela, Ramona Mateos-Campos, Carlos Ayán-Pérez, Antonio José Molina (), Rocío Ortiz-Moncada, Susana Redondo-Martín, Juan Alguacil, Gemma Blázquez-Abellán, Miguel Delgado-Rodríguez, Jessica Alonso-Molero and Tania Fernández-Villa
Additional contact information
Lorena Botella-Juan: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Area of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of León, 24071 León, Spain
Carmen Amezcua-Prieto: Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública-CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
María M. Morales-Suarez-Varela: Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública-CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
Ramona Mateos-Campos: Area of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
Carlos Ayán-Pérez: Well-Move Research Group, Department of Special Didactics, University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
Antonio José Molina: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Area of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of León, 24071 León, Spain
Rocío Ortiz-Moncada: Area of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Food and Nutrition Research Group, University of Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain
Susana Redondo-Martín: Department of Pathological Anatomy, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, Universidad de Valladolid, 47005 Valladolid, Spain
Juan Alguacil: Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública-CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
Gemma Blázquez-Abellán: Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 02008 Albacete, Spain
Miguel Delgado-Rodríguez: Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública-CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
Jessica Alonso-Molero: Departamento de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Universidad de Cantabria-IDIVAL, 39008 Santander, Spain
Tania Fernández-Villa: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Area of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of León, 24071 León, Spain

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 18, 1-13

Abstract: Among university students there has been evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic increased their psychological distress, exacerbated by social restrictions. The main objective of this study was to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence and patterns of cannabis use among university students, in contrast to previous trends since 2012. Data from 10,522 first-year university students (73.3% female, M age 19 (SD = 1.6)) from eleven Spanish universities collected between 2012 and May 2022 was analysed. Prevalences of cannabis use and their differences by sex were studied, as well as changes in patterns of use and its use for coping during the pandemic. It was found that during lockdown, all prevalence rates of cannabis use decreased in both sexes, showing no statistically significant differences and increasing again in the new normal period in both. Among regular cannabis users, 79.7% reported maintaining or increasing their cannabis use during the pandemic, and of these, half reported using cannabis to cope. Moreover, cannabis use in the usual household increased during the lockdown. These results show that although the overall prevalence of cannabis use was reduced during the lockdown, regular users tended to maintain or increase cannabis use. This could imply two different patterns of use among students, one social and occasional versus the other regular, providing new lines of research for prevention and the implementation of social policies.

Keywords: cannabis; marijuana use; students; university; COVID-19; quarantine; public health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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