A national survey of Jamaican school-going adolescents found past-30-day marijuana use associated with loneliness, suicidal ideation, parental smoking, early sexual initiation, and use of other substances.
Adolescent health researchers, school-based intervention designers, Caribbean public health officials
Nearly 1 in 5 Jamaican adolescents used marijuana in the past 30 days
What the researchers found
Among Jamaican adolescents aged 13-17, older age and male sex predicted higher marijuana use. Psychosocial factors including loneliness, frequent worry, suicidal ideation, physical attacks, and school absenteeism were all associated with higher use. Parental smoking increased odds while strong parental support decreased them. Amphetamine and tobacco use showed the strongest substance-related associations. Early sexual initiation (before age 14) correlated with higher marijuana use.
Why it matters
Jamaica has unique cultural attitudes toward cannabis, yet adolescent use patterns mirror those seen globally, suggesting universal risk factors that transcend cultural context.
The numbers in context
Nearly 20% past-30-day prevalence; ages 13-17; grades 7-12; older age, male sex, loneliness, suicidal ideation, parental smoking, amphetamine use, tobacco use, early sexual initiation all significantly associated
How the study worked
Cross-sectional analysis of the 2017 Jamaica Global School-Based Student Health Survey covering students in grades 7-12. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression assessed associations between demographics, psychosocial factors, substance use, risk behaviors, and past-30-day marijuana use.
What this study cannot tell us
Cross-sectional design cannot determine causation. Self-reported data subject to recall and social desirability bias. School-based survey misses out-of-school adolescents who may have different use patterns. Jamaica-specific findings may not generalize.
How to read the evidence
National survey with multivariable analysis, but cross-sectional design and self-reported data limit causal interpretation.
When this study was published
Published 2023 using 2017 survey data
The bigger picture
The clustering of marijuana use with emotional distress, other substance use, and risky sexual behavior suggests adolescent cannabis use may be a marker of broader vulnerability rather than an isolated behavior.
Questions still open
- Would school-based mental health interventions reduce adolescent marijuana use as a secondary benefit? How do Jamaica-specific cultural attitudes toward cannabis affect the relationship between risk factors and use?
Common questions
How common is marijuana use among Jamaican teenagers?
What factors are linked to adolescent marijuana use in Jamaica?
Read the original research
Marijuana use and its correlates among school-going Jamaican adolescents: a finding from a national survey.
Frontiers in psychiatry, 14, 1324869
Citation
Dadras, Omid. (2023). Marijuana use and its correlates among school-going Jamaican adolescents: a finding from a national survey.. Frontiers in psychiatry, 14, 1324869. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1324869
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