Sexual minority status linked to more marijuana use in girls but less in boys
Among nearly 38,000 US high school students, sexual minority females had 33% higher odds of past-month marijuana use, while sexual minority males had 30% lower odds compared to their heterosexual peers.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
The association between sexual minority status and marijuana use differed significantly by sex. Among females, sexual minority status was associated with 1.33 greater odds of past 30-day marijuana use. Among males, sexual minority status was associated with 0.70 lower odds. The interaction was statistically significant.
Key Numbers
37,870 students; females: SMS OR 1.33; males: SMS OR 0.70; interaction P < 0.05; pooled from 3 YRBS cycles (2015, 2017, 2019)
How They Did This
Researchers pooled data from the 2015, 2017, and 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance surveys (n = 37,870 9th-12th graders). Interaction models and sex-stratified logistic regressions tested effect modification, adjusting for race/ethnicity, grade, tobacco use, illicit drug use, and survey year.
Why This Research Matters
Assuming all sexual minority youth face the same substance use risk patterns misses important sex-based differences. These findings suggest prevention programs need to be tailored rather than treating sexual minority youth as a monolithic group.
The Bigger Picture
The opposite directions of the association across sexes is striking and suggests that the social and psychological experiences of sexual minority males versus females during high school create different relationships with marijuana use.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional self-report data. Cannot determine causation. Sexual minority status was measured by identity, not behavior or attraction. YRBS does not include non-enrolled youth.
Questions This Raises
- ?What drives the opposite patterns between sexual minority males and females?
- ?Do these sex-based differences persist into adulthood?
- ?Are there mediating factors like minority stress, social connectedness, or coping styles that explain the divergence?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Opposite effects: 33% higher odds in girls vs 30% lower odds in boys
- Evidence Grade:
- Large nationally representative dataset pooled across three survey cycles with appropriate interaction modeling.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2021 using YRBS data from 2015-2019.
- Original Title:
- Role of sex on the relationship between sexual minority status and past 30-day marijuana use among high school students (YRBS, 2015-2019).
- Published In:
- Addictive behaviors, 118, 106905 (2021)
- Authors:
- Mantey, Dale S, Andrew Yockey, R, Barroso, Cristina S
- Database ID:
- RTHC-03318
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Are all sexual minority teens at higher risk for marijuana use?
No. This study found the association depended on sex. Sexual minority females had higher odds of marijuana use, but sexual minority males actually had lower odds compared to their heterosexual peers.
How large was this study?
It included 37,870 high school students across three national survey cycles from 2015 to 2019.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-03318APA
Mantey, Dale S; Andrew Yockey, R; Barroso, Cristina S. (2021). Role of sex on the relationship between sexual minority status and past 30-day marijuana use among high school students (YRBS, 2015-2019).. Addictive behaviors, 118, 106905. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.106905
MLA
Mantey, Dale S, et al. "Role of sex on the relationship between sexual minority status and past 30-day marijuana use among high school students (YRBS, 2015-2019).." Addictive behaviors, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.106905
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Role of sex on the relationship between sexual minority stat..." RTHC-03318. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/mantey-2021-role-of-sex-on
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.