Published online Mar 22, 2018. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v8.i1.33
Peer-review started: November 4, 2017
First decision: December 11, 2017
Revised: December 23, 2017
Accepted: January 19, 2018
Article in press: February 8, 2018
Published online: March 22, 2018
Processing time: 137 Days and 11.4 Hours
To determine the prevalence of drug and substance abuse among high school students in Jalisco and its association with the severity of health, behavior and psychosocial problems in order to provide evidence for possible prevention and treatment needs.
A multi-stage random sample of Jalisco high school students was given a paper-and-pencil survey based upon an adapted version of the drug use screening inventory (DUSI) (n = 24699; n = 2832). The DUSI showed adequate psychometric characteristics in this population. The statistical analyses accommodated the complex survey design with attention to unequal probability of selection and clustering of participants within schools and regions.
An estimated 44% of the students had smoked tobacco, one in five students was a current smoker, and one in four students used to smoke but had not smoked for one year or more. By contrast, 6.8% of the students reported having used marijuana, cocaine, or both. Behavioral problems, deviant peer affiliation, and troubled families were independently associated with drug use. One in two students who used tobacco or alcohol had used these drugs in the past year (46% and 54%, respectively), and one in four students who used marijuana or cocaine in their lifetime had used those drugs in the past year (28% in both cases).
The rates of cocaine use as well as the proportion of current users were higher than expected among high school students and indicate changing patterns of drug use in Mexico. These results corroborate that the general trend of drug use by youth in Mexico is increasing. Results from this study help us better understand the needs of at-risk youth and the need for new treatment and prevention strategies.
Core tip: Drug and substance use is a public health problem around the world. Prevention efforts are carried out with varying results. One of the main targets in prevention is the risk factors associated with drug use. There are several instruments to study the risk factors which provide critical information to establish guidelines to control and prevent drug use. We used a well known validated and accepted instrument (drug use screening inventory) to investigate the prevalence and psychosocial factors associated with tobacco, alcohol and drug use in high school students in Mexico. We found higher prevalence of substance use than expected: 44% of the students had smoked tobacco and one in five students was a current smoker while over 40% had history of binge drinking. On the other hand, 6.8% of the students reported having used marijuana, cocaine, or both. Behavioral problems, deviant peer affiliation, and troubled families were independently associated with drug use. These results will help in the application of control and prevention programs among high school students. This is the first survey representative of a West Central state in Mexico: Jalisco which is an important Mexican state because it has a significant drug production and trafficking problem, and on the other hand, it provides a great number of migrants to the United States creating social, cultural and health problems associated with risk behaviors.