School experiences linked to marijuana use differ for Black male and female teens
Among African American adolescents, negative school feelings and poor grades were associated with marijuana use for both sexes, but perceived peer use was a much stronger predictor for females (8x more likely) than males (3.5x more likely).
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
For females, the strongest risk factors were negative school feelings (OR 2.72), finding courses uninteresting (OR 2.70), and poor grades (OR 2.52). For males, the strongest risk factors were feeling school was unimportant for later life (OR 3.47), negative school feelings (OR 2.36), and poor grades (OR 2.73). Perceived peer marijuana use was dramatically more predictive for females (OR 8.29) than males (OR 3.42).
Key Numbers
Females: negative feelings OR 2.72, uninteresting courses OR 2.70, poor grades OR 2.52, perceived peer use OR 8.29. Males: school unimportant OR 3.47, negative feelings OR 2.36, poor grades OR 2.73, perceived peer use OR 3.42.
How They Did This
Secondary analysis of the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Multivariable logistic regression examining past-month marijuana use among African American adolescents by school experiences and sex.
Why This Research Matters
Prevention programs often take a one-size-fits-all approach, but these findings suggest that the pathways to marijuana use differ by sex, even within the same racial/ethnic group.
The Bigger Picture
The dramatic sex difference in peer influence suggests that social norms interventions might be particularly effective for young Black women, while relevance-of-education messaging might work better for young Black men.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional data cannot establish causation. Self-reported marijuana use. 2012 data may not reflect current trends. Focused on African American adolescents only.
Questions This Raises
- ?Why is perceived peer use so much more influential for females?
- ?Would sex-specific prevention programs produce better outcomes?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 8x risk from perceived peer use for females
- Evidence Grade:
- Large national survey with robust statistical methods, but cross-sectional design limits causal inference.
- Study Age:
- 2019 analysis of 2012 national survey data.
- Original Title:
- Sex Differences in the Association Between School Experiences and Marijuana Use Among African American Adolescents.
- Published In:
- Journal of community health, 44(3), 534-543 (2019)
- Authors:
- Vidourek, Rebecca A(3), King, Keith A(3)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-02333
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
What school factors predict teen marijuana use?
Negative feelings about school, poor grades, and perceived peer use were significant predictors for both sexes, though the specific patterns differed between African American males and females.
Does peer influence affect boys and girls differently for marijuana use?
In this study, perceived peer marijuana use made African American girls 8 times more likely to use, compared to 3.5 times for boys, suggesting peer influence operates more strongly for females.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02333APA
Vidourek, Rebecca A; King, Keith A. (2019). Sex Differences in the Association Between School Experiences and Marijuana Use Among African American Adolescents.. Journal of community health, 44(3), 534-543. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-019-00652-7
MLA
Vidourek, Rebecca A, et al. "Sex Differences in the Association Between School Experiences and Marijuana Use Among African American Adolescents.." Journal of community health, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-019-00652-7
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Sex Differences in the Association Between School Experience..." RTHC-02333. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/vidourek-2019-sex-differences-in-the
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.