Primary Submission Category: Health behaviors
Adolescent Substance Use as a Robust Predictor of Young Adult Substance Use Disorders among Women in the United States: Results from the Add Health Study
Authors: Sarah Sharmin Johnelle Sparks
Presenting Author: Sarah Sharmin*
Substance use disorders (SUD) are critical public health concerns because of their multilevel adverse impacts linked to individual negative health outcomes, declining life expectancy at the national level, and intergenerational health. The development trajectory of SUD differs by sex, where women are less likely to use substances than men, which led to limited research on SUD of women. This paper examines the early onset of adolescent (12-17 yrs) substance use as a predictor of young adult (18-26 yrs) SUD among women in the United States. The outcome, SUD, was operationalized as those who have experienced drunk driving, absence in school, problems with friends, families, and romantic relationships, and fighting due to drinking or the use of drugs (illegal and prescribed drugs). The primary predictor, the onset of substance use, was categorized into three categories: 1) never used, 2) used before/at 14 years, and 3) used after/at 15 years. We analyzed the association using Waves I and III from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), with a final analytic sample of 8,015 women. Results show that 33.9% were adolescent substance users, and 18.5% were women with substance use disorders. Using complex-survey weighted logistic regression models, we found that the onset of substance use before or at 14 years is more likely to lead to substance use disorders in early adulthood (OR=2.02, 95% C.I.=1.65-2.48) than non-users, net of individual characteristics such as race/ethnicity, marital status, academic performance, religiosity. Studying women’s SUD prognosis will help develop policies focusing on women and not relying on overall SUD research outcomes for men.