Cannabis Use and Associated Risk Behavior Factors among High School Students in Mississippi: Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System 2021

Amal K. Mitra (), Zhen Zhang and Julie A. Schroeder
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Amal K. Mitra: Department of Public Health, Julia Jones Matthews School of Population and Public Health, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Abilene, TX 79601, USA
Zhen Zhang: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA
Julie A. Schroeder: School of Social Work, College of Health Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 8, 1-9

Abstract: Cannabis is the most used illicit drug among youths in the United States. The objectives of this study were to identify the association between cannabis use and other risk behaviors, including suicidality, among high school students. This is a cross-sectional study using the 2021 Mississippi Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS). The 2021 YRBS data sets were combined for this study. The crude odds ratio (OR) and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval were generated using the survey packages in R to account for weights and the complex sampling design of the YRBS data. Univariate analysis identified seven risky behaviors that were significantly associated with current cannabis use, including carrying weapons on school campuses, suicidal attempts, electronic vapor use, current smoking, current drinking, sexual behaviors, and unsupervised children. In multivariable analysis, after adjusting for gender, race, students’ grades, and other risky behaviors, statistically significant variables for cannabis use included current use of electronic vapor, current smoking, current drinking, and sexual behaviors. Cannabis use is evenly burdened between males and females and between all race categories among Mississippi high school students. The identified associations seem to indicate that electronic vapor, tobacco products, and alcohol use could be the forerunners for drug use and should be treated accordingly in drug use prevention programs.

Keywords: cannabis; risk behavior; drug use; suicidality; CDC; YRBS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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