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Examining the Relationships Between Cannabis Use Expectancies and the Intention to Use, the Initiation of Use, and Frequency of Cannabis use Among Canadian Adolescents
Poster Abstracts / 60 (2017) S83eS126
motivations for change. Their normative goals for autonomy and progress in education/career presented an opportunity to ask how their marijuana use aligns with these goals and elicit motivation to change. For those contemplating reducing/quitting use, relationships were important considerations in their decisional balance. Negative emotions often triggered use and coping was a main reason for use. Alternatives to marijuana may be of limited effectiveness without specific attention to coping strategies in developing a change plan. Sources of Support: NIDA R34DA030535-01A1; HRSA/MCHB LEAH T71MC00009. 224. EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CANNABIS USE EXPECTANCIES AND THE INTENTION TO USE, THE INITIATION OF USE, AND FREQUENCY OF CANNABIS USE AMONG CANADIAN ADOLESCENTS Ayu Pinky Hapsari, BS, Javiera Pumarino, BA, Eugenia Oviedo-Joekes, PhD, Chris Richardson, PhD. University of British Columbia. Purpose: There is a growing concern that the impending legalization of recreational cannabis use for adults in North America may lead to problematic use by adolescents, which are associated with many detrimental health impacts. This study examines the relationships between the expectations that adolescents hold regarding the effects of cannabis (outcome expectancies) and their intentions to try cannabis and current and future use. Methods: Data were collected from 1592 high school students aged 14-16 years in 2011/12 in waves 5 and 6 of the British Columbia Adolescent Substance Use Survey (BASUS). Marijuana Effect Expectancy Questionnaire-Brief scales were used to assess the positive and negative outcome expectancies: MEEQB-pos and MEEQB-neg, respectively. Binomial logistic regressions were conducted to evaluate the relationship between wave 5 outcome expectancy, and the following dependent variables: Wave 5 intention to try cannabis (some intention/no intention) and reported use in waves 5 and 6 (yes/ no). Ordinal logistic regression was used to examine the association between wave 5 outcome expectancy and wave 5 cannabis use frequency in the past 30 days among current users. Perceived socio-economic status, gender, age and ethnicity were controlled in all analyses. Results: The effective sample size was 1400 (59.6% female). Reported past use, intention to try, and average scores on MEEQB-pos were comparable between male and female participants, but females scored higher in MEEQB-neg. A one point increase on the MEEQB-pos was associated with more than a two-fold increase in the odds of being a current cannabis user (AOR: 2.55, 95%CI: 2.10-3.10), using cannabis more frequently (AOR: 1.63, 95%CI: 1.18-2.24), and expressing some intention to try cannabis (AOR: 2.044, 95%CI: 1.68-2.48). Higher scores on the MEEQB-pos increased the odds of reporting cannabis use six months later by 1.77 times (95%CI: 1.25-2.52). The opposite trend was seen in MEEQB-neg, whereby a one point increase was associated with 60, 50, and 40 percent reductions in the odds of being a current user (AOR: 0.41, 95%CI: 0.34-0.48), using
S121
cannabis more frequently (AOR: 0.52, 95%CI: 0.38-0.71), and expressing some intention to try cannabis (AOR: 0.584, 95%CI: 0.489-0.698), respectively. Higher score in MEEQB-neg also decreased the odds of reporting cannabis use at six months later (AOR: 0.687, 95%CI: 0.504-0.936). Conclusions: The results support the Integrative Model of Behavioral Prediction that identifies expectancies as one of the major factors influencing behavioral intention, and subsequent health behavior. While possessing positive outcome expectancies was positively associated with risky cannabis-related behavior cross-sectionally and prospectively, negative outcome expectancy was a protective factor. These finding complement similar research examining cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking among adolescents, and highlight the potentially important role of expectancies in shaping current and future substance use behavior. Our results also provide further evidence for outcome expectancy as a potential marker of vulnerability for future cannabis use that could be used to inform the development of targeted prevention messaging that addresses common misconceptions adolescents may have about the effects of cannabis use during this sensitive developmental period (i.e. marijuana is a natural product that is safe for everyone). Sources of Support: Canadian Institutes of Health Research. 225. MORE THAN JUST KEEPING BUSY: THE PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF ORGANIZED ACTIVITY PARTICIPATION ON SUBSTANCE USE AND VIOLENT BEHAVIOR AMONG URBAN YOUTH Andria B. Eisman, PhD, Marc A. Zimmerman, PhD. University of Michigan. Purpose: Numerous health problems related to violence and substance use disproportionately affect African-American youth in urban, disadvantaged communities. Strength-based approaches to ameliorating risk, such as organized activity participation, are promising. Researchers suggest that fostering relationships with prosocial peers and non-familial adults is a mechanism by which organized activities reduce the likelihood of negative developmental outcomes. Yet, few researchers have explicitly examined this mechanism. Methods: We examined a parallel multiple mediator model using structural equation modeling (SEM) to simultaneously investigate the relative contribution of two mechanisms (relationships with prosocial peers and adults) in the longitudinal relationship between organized activity participation during early adolescence and negative outcomes during late adolescence (substance use and violence). We examined these relationships among a school-based sample from an urban, economically disadvantaged context (W1: N ¼ 681; 50% female; M ¼ 14.86 years; SD ¼ .65). Results: Relationships with prosocial peers mediated the relationship between organized activity participation and violent behavior and substance use. Relationships with prosocial non-familial adults did not mediate the relationship between participation and outcomes, but is associated with prosocial peer relationships. Conclusions: Our results provide evidence for the protective effect of fostering positive social relationships with peers and adults in
motivations for change. Their normative goals for autonomy and progress in education/career presented an opportunity to ask how their marijuana use aligns with these goals and elicit motivation to change. For those contemplating reducing/quitting use, relationships were important considerations in their decisional balance. Negative emotions often triggered use and coping was a main reason for use. Alternatives to marijuana may be of limited effectiveness without specific attention to coping strategies in developing a change plan. Sources of Support: NIDA R34DA030535-01A1; HRSA/MCHB LEAH T71MC00009. 224. EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CANNABIS USE EXPECTANCIES AND THE INTENTION TO USE, THE INITIATION OF USE, AND FREQUENCY OF CANNABIS USE AMONG CANADIAN ADOLESCENTS Ayu Pinky Hapsari, BS, Javiera Pumarino, BA, Eugenia Oviedo-Joekes, PhD, Chris Richardson, PhD. University of British Columbia. Purpose: There is a growing concern that the impending legalization of recreational cannabis use for adults in North America may lead to problematic use by adolescents, which are associated with many detrimental health impacts. This study examines the relationships between the expectations that adolescents hold regarding the effects of cannabis (outcome expectancies) and their intentions to try cannabis and current and future use. Methods: Data were collected from 1592 high school students aged 14-16 years in 2011/12 in waves 5 and 6 of the British Columbia Adolescent Substance Use Survey (BASUS). Marijuana Effect Expectancy Questionnaire-Brief scales were used to assess the positive and negative outcome expectancies: MEEQB-pos and MEEQB-neg, respectively. Binomial logistic regressions were conducted to evaluate the relationship between wave 5 outcome expectancy, and the following dependent variables: Wave 5 intention to try cannabis (some intention/no intention) and reported use in waves 5 and 6 (yes/ no). Ordinal logistic regression was used to examine the association between wave 5 outcome expectancy and wave 5 cannabis use frequency in the past 30 days among current users. Perceived socio-economic status, gender, age and ethnicity were controlled in all analyses. Results: The effective sample size was 1400 (59.6% female). Reported past use, intention to try, and average scores on MEEQB-pos were comparable between male and female participants, but females scored higher in MEEQB-neg. A one point increase on the MEEQB-pos was associated with more than a two-fold increase in the odds of being a current cannabis user (AOR: 2.55, 95%CI: 2.10-3.10), using cannabis more frequently (AOR: 1.63, 95%CI: 1.18-2.24), and expressing some intention to try cannabis (AOR: 2.044, 95%CI: 1.68-2.48). Higher scores on the MEEQB-pos increased the odds of reporting cannabis use six months later by 1.77 times (95%CI: 1.25-2.52). The opposite trend was seen in MEEQB-neg, whereby a one point increase was associated with 60, 50, and 40 percent reductions in the odds of being a current user (AOR: 0.41, 95%CI: 0.34-0.48), using
S121
cannabis more frequently (AOR: 0.52, 95%CI: 0.38-0.71), and expressing some intention to try cannabis (AOR: 0.584, 95%CI: 0.489-0.698), respectively. Higher score in MEEQB-neg also decreased the odds of reporting cannabis use at six months later (AOR: 0.687, 95%CI: 0.504-0.936). Conclusions: The results support the Integrative Model of Behavioral Prediction that identifies expectancies as one of the major factors influencing behavioral intention, and subsequent health behavior. While possessing positive outcome expectancies was positively associated with risky cannabis-related behavior cross-sectionally and prospectively, negative outcome expectancy was a protective factor. These finding complement similar research examining cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking among adolescents, and highlight the potentially important role of expectancies in shaping current and future substance use behavior. Our results also provide further evidence for outcome expectancy as a potential marker of vulnerability for future cannabis use that could be used to inform the development of targeted prevention messaging that addresses common misconceptions adolescents may have about the effects of cannabis use during this sensitive developmental period (i.e. marijuana is a natural product that is safe for everyone). Sources of Support: Canadian Institutes of Health Research. 225. MORE THAN JUST KEEPING BUSY: THE PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF ORGANIZED ACTIVITY PARTICIPATION ON SUBSTANCE USE AND VIOLENT BEHAVIOR AMONG URBAN YOUTH Andria B. Eisman, PhD, Marc A. Zimmerman, PhD. University of Michigan. Purpose: Numerous health problems related to violence and substance use disproportionately affect African-American youth in urban, disadvantaged communities. Strength-based approaches to ameliorating risk, such as organized activity participation, are promising. Researchers suggest that fostering relationships with prosocial peers and non-familial adults is a mechanism by which organized activities reduce the likelihood of negative developmental outcomes. Yet, few researchers have explicitly examined this mechanism. Methods: We examined a parallel multiple mediator model using structural equation modeling (SEM) to simultaneously investigate the relative contribution of two mechanisms (relationships with prosocial peers and adults) in the longitudinal relationship between organized activity participation during early adolescence and negative outcomes during late adolescence (substance use and violence). We examined these relationships among a school-based sample from an urban, economically disadvantaged context (W1: N ¼ 681; 50% female; M ¼ 14.86 years; SD ¼ .65). Results: Relationships with prosocial peers mediated the relationship between organized activity participation and violent behavior and substance use. Relationships with prosocial non-familial adults did not mediate the relationship between participation and outcomes, but is associated with prosocial peer relationships. Conclusions: Our results provide evidence for the protective effect of fostering positive social relationships with peers and adults in