Cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco use in Seychelles adolescents linked to suicidal thoughts and poor parental monitoring
Among 1,432 Seychelles students aged 11-17, substance use (cannabis, alcohol, tobacco) was associated with suicidal ideation, truancy, and poor parental monitoring.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
A school survey of 1,432 students aged 11-17 from all secondary schools in the Seychelles examined associations between substance use and psychosocial characteristics.
Substance use (cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, and cannabis use) was more prevalent in boys and increased with age. After adjusting for age, several individual-level risk factors were associated with substance use, including suicidal ideation and truancy.
At the family level, poor parental monitoring was associated with substance use. The authors emphasized that substance use clustered with other risk behaviors, suggesting health promotion programs should address multiple behaviors simultaneously.
Key Numbers
1,432 students aged 11-17. All secondary schools sampled. Boys had higher prevalence. Substance use increased with age. Suicidal ideation, truancy, and poor parental monitoring were significant correlates.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional school survey using the Global School-based Health Survey (GSHS) methodology. Representative sample of 1,432 students aged 11-17 from all secondary schools. Self-administered anonymous questionnaire. Adjusted analyses accounted for classroom clustering effects.
Why This Research Matters
This study from a developing small island state provided data from an under-represented region, showing that the association between substance use and psychosocial risk factors was consistent across diverse cultural contexts.
The Bigger Picture
The co-occurrence of substance use with multiple risk behaviors across diverse cultural settings supported integrated prevention approaches rather than substance-specific interventions.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design cannot establish causation. Self-reported anonymous questionnaire may be subject to social desirability bias. Cannabis use may be underreported in an African island context.
Questions This Raises
- ?Are the risk factors for substance initiation versus progression different in this population?
- ?Would family-based interventions targeting parental monitoring reduce adolescent substance use?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Suicidal ideation and poor parental monitoring linked to substance use in teens
- Evidence Grade:
- Representative school survey with standard methodology but cross-sectional design and self-reported data.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2011. Global adolescent substance use research has continued to expand to diverse settings.
- Original Title:
- Association between substance use and psychosocial characteristics among adolescents of the Seychelles.
- Published In:
- BMC pediatrics, 11, 85 (2011)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-00468
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
What risk factors predicted teen substance use?
At the individual level, suicidal ideation and truancy were associated with substance use. At the family level, poor parental monitoring was a significant factor.
Where are the Seychelles?
The Seychelles is a small island nation in the Indian Ocean, east of Africa. This study was notable for providing data from an under-represented region in substance use research.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-00468APA
Alwan, Heba; Viswanathan, Bharathi; Rousson, Valentin; Paccaud, Fred; Bovet, Pascal. (2011). Association between substance use and psychosocial characteristics among adolescents of the Seychelles.. BMC pediatrics, 11, 85. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2431-11-85
MLA
Alwan, Heba, et al. "Association between substance use and psychosocial characteristics among adolescents of the Seychelles.." BMC pediatrics, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2431-11-85
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Association between substance use and psychosocial character..." RTHC-00468. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/alwan-2011-association-between-substance-use
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.