Peer Cannabis Use Was the Strongest Predictor of Teen Cannabis Use in Ireland
Among 4,404 Irish adolescents, peer cannabis use was the strongest risk factor (10x higher odds).
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Current use prevalence: 7.3%. Peer use aOR 10.17; parental ambivalence aOR 3.69; non-harmful perception aOR 2.32; other substance use aOR 2.67-3.15; peer pressure aOR 1.85; low supervision aOR 1.11.
Key Numbers
4,404 adolescents; 7.3% current use; peer use aOR 10.17; parental ambivalence aOR 3.69
How They Did This
Secondary analysis of Planet Youth survey (2021), 4,404 adolescents aged 15-16 in Ireland.
Why This Research Matters
Peer influence dwarfs all other risk factors, suggesting community-level approaches may work better than individual ones.
The Bigger Picture
The Iceland Model (Planet Youth) has shown success through community-level interventions. This data supports that.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional. Self-reported. Irish context.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would targeting parental attitudes reduce teen use?
- ?How does peer influence compare across countries?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Peers who use cannabis increased a teen's odds of use by 10x
- Evidence Grade:
- Large population survey but cross-sectional.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2024 with 2021 data.
- Original Title:
- Risk and protective factors for cannabis use in adolescence: a population-based survey in schools.
- Published In:
- Irish journal of psychological medicine, 1-9 (2024)
- Authors:
- O'Dowd, Teresa M, Fleury, Ronan, Power, Emmet(2), Dooley, Niamh, Quinn, Laura, Petropoulos, Stephen, Healy, Colm, Smyth, Bobby, Cannon, Mary
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05599
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Biggest risk factor for teen cannabis use?
Having friends who use cannabis (10x higher odds).
Do parents matter?
Yes. Parental tolerance was associated with 3.7x higher odds.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05599APA
O'Dowd, Teresa M; Fleury, Ronan; Power, Emmet; Dooley, Niamh; Quinn, Laura; Petropoulos, Stephen; Healy, Colm; Smyth, Bobby; Cannon, Mary. (2024). Risk and protective factors for cannabis use in adolescence: a population-based survey in schools.. Irish journal of psychological medicine, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2024.28
MLA
O'Dowd, Teresa M, et al. "Risk and protective factors for cannabis use in adolescence: a population-based survey in schools.." Irish journal of psychological medicine, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2024.28
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Risk and protective factors for cannabis use in adolescence:..." RTHC-05599. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/o-dowd-2024-risk-and-protective-factors
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.