Individual and Contextual Predictors of Inhalant Use Among 8th Graders: A Multilevel Analysis

• NCJ Number: 225980
• Journal: Journal of Drug Education Volume: 38 Issue: 3 Dated: 2008 Pages: 193-210
• Author(s): David Collins Ph.D.; Zhenfeng Pan Ph.D.; Knowlton Johnson Ph.D.; Matthew Courser Ph.D.; Steve Shamblen Ph.D.
• Date Published: 2008
• Length: 18 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: SAMHSA Ctr for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined individual and contextual predictors of prevalence of inhalant uses.

Abstract

The results show relationships between inhalant use prevalence and factors that are generally consistent with prior studies; females tend to report higher rates of inhalant use than males, and non-Whites are generally less likely to use inhalants compared to Whites. Results support the evidence of higher levels of prevalence for younger students; inhalants are often used by younger adolescents due to the greater availability of inhalable products compared to other categories of drugs. Further analysis suggests that among risk and protective factors, family conflict, friends’ drug use, and perceived availability of drugs most predicted inhalant use. Also predictive of youth inhalant use was parental attitudes favorable toward drug use, although this relationship was less strong than for marijuana and other drugs. Of three protective factors examined, the associations between these factors and inhalant use were similar to those between the factors and marijuana and other drug use, with the exception of school commitment for which the study found a positive relationship with marijuana use prevalence. Results showed a weaker relationship between inhalant use and antisocial behavior than was found for marijuana and other drugs. Data were collected from 22,986 eighth graders within 159 schools in 91 districts in Kentucky. Tables and references