Polysubstance use and school engagement: a longitudinal investigation
Date
2009-08-28T17:50:21Z
Authors
Zadorozniak, Jennifer
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Abstract
Youth substance use is a major social problem and concurrent experimentation with alcohol and other substances is becoming more common. In this investigation, a secondary analysis was performed on a Canadian database of 580 youth. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between sociodemographic factors, parenting practices, peer affiliation patterns, and school engagement in predicting the trajectory of polysubstance use in a sample of Victoria youth. In this study, polysubstance use (PSU) is the use of at least two substances in the same time period. Data were extracted from the Healthy Youth Survey, and the prevalence and predictors of polysubstance use were investigated through correlational and structural equation modeling techniques. Polysubstance users tended to be older, be less engaged with school, and report having friends who took part in risky activities such as drinking or doing drugs. School engagement protected against all forms of substance use and over time most strongly protected against polysubstance use.
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substance abuse, Adolescence, School Engagement, Longitudinal