Protective correlates of stages in adolescent substance use: A Swiss national study

Objective: To identify factors potentially protective against involvement w ith additional illicit drugs among adolescent users of marijuana. Design and Methods: A cross-sectional, secondary analysis of a national dat a set of Swiss adolescents was performed. The original survey was conducted in 1992-1993 (N = 9268). Stages of substance use were conceptualized as li fetime use of marijuana of three or more times and as use of marijuana and other illicit drugs (opiates, inhalants, cocaine, hallucinogens, or stimula nts) more than twice in the past month. Behavioral characteristics associat ed with level of drug use were examined. Based on the resilience literature , factors potentially protective against progression of drug use were exami ned in their bivariate relationships and analyzed in a multiple regression model. Results: Almost one quarter of the surveyed adolescents were classified as past or current marijuana users. One in 20 of these adolescents also used o ther illicit drugs. Prevalence of risk-related behaviors (e.g., antisocial behavior, accidents, suicide attempts) was elevated for marijuana users com pared to nonusers and even more elevated for users of marijuana with other illicit drugs. In a multivariate logistic regression model, communicating w ell with a parent was significantly associated with not having progressed t o use of illicit drugs other than marijuana [for males, odds ratio (OR) = 0 .72, confidence interval (CI) = 0.55, 0.92; for females, OR = 0.60, CI = 0. 39, 0.93]. Other significant protective correlates for boys were academic a chievement (OR = 0.66, CI = 0.47, 0.92), type of education: school versus a pprenticeship (OR = 0.42, CI = 0.21, 0.87), confiding in a family member (O R = 0.49, CI = 0.28, 0.85), and regular participation in a sports club (OR = 0.39, CT = 0.22, 0.77). Conclusion: Within this national sample of Swiss adolescents, a cross-secti onal analysis identified the quality of relationships within the family and factors related to school associated with lack of progression of illicit s ubstance use. However, longitudinal studies will be necessary to confirm th ese associations and to allow for designing interventions targeting the enh ancement of protective factors among young people already at risk for serio us substance use. (C) Society for Adolescent Medicine, 2000.