Onset of Nicotine, Alcohol, and Marijuana Use Disorders among North American Indigenous Adolescents

• In Event: 506 - Regular Session. Substance Use, Abuse, Treatment

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the onset of nicotine, alcohol, and marijuana use disorders among a large longitudinal sample (N = 674) of Indigenous (i.e., American Indian and Canadian First Nations) adolescents residing in the Midwest of the United States and Canada. Drawing from the common liability for substance use disorders model, we examined a set of risk and protective factors that were expected to be general risk factors across the three substances examined. Moreover, we examined the temporal progression of onset of substance use disorders to better understand the relationship among multiple problematic substance use diagnoses. Using discrete-time survival analysis, we found that nicotine dependence precedes alcohol dependence, but alcohol and marijuana dependence do not precede nicotine dependence. Nicotine and alcohol dependence precedes marijuana dependence, but marijuana dependence does not precede alcohol dependence. Thus, it appears the progression of onset of substance use disorders progresses from lower licit substance use disorders (e.g., nicotine) to illicit substance use disorders (e.g., marijuana). We also found that parental monitoring decreased the odds of substance use disorder onset, while delinquent peer associations, adolescent conduct problems, and perceived racial discrimination increased the odds of substance use disorder onset. Parent history of problematic substance use and depression, gender, age, and living in a remote location did not predict onset of substance use disorders among this population. The results are placed within a cultural context and culturally relevant prevention/intervention programming is discussed.

Authors

• Dane Hautala, University of Nebraska Lincoln

• Brian Armenta, University of Missouri

• Les B. Whitbeck