Ecological Factors and Adolescent Marijuana Use: Results of a Prospective Study in Santiago, Chile

Abstract

Purpose: Despite the growing evidence that ecological factors contribute to substance use, the relationship of ecological factors and illicit drugs such as marijuana use is not well understood, particularly among adolescents in Latin America. Guided by social disorganization and social stress theories, we prospectively examined the association of disaggregated neighborhood characteristics with marijuana use among adolescents in Santiago, Chile, and tested if these relationships varied by sex. Methods: Data for this study are from 725 community-dwelling adolescents participating in the Santiago Longitudinal Study, a study of substance using behaviors among urban adolescents in Santiago, Chile. Adolescents completed a two-hour interviewer administered questionnaire with questions about drug use and factors related to drug using behaviors. Results: As the neighborhood levels of drug availability at baseline increased, but not crime or noxious environment, adolescents had higher odds of occasions of marijuana use at follow up, approximately 2 years later (odds ratio [OR] = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.16–1.66), even after controlling for the study’s covariates. No interactions by sex were significant. Discussion: The findings suggest that “poverty”, “crime”, and “drug problems” may not be synonyms and thus can be understood discretely. As Latin American countries re-examine their drug policies, especially those concerning decriminalizing marijuana use, the findings suggest that attempts to reduce adolescent marijuana use in disadvantaged neighborhoods may do best if efforts are concentrated on specific features of the “substance abuse environment”.

Resiliensi Remaja: Perbedaan Berdasarkan Wilayah, Kemiskinan, Jenis Kelamin, dan Jenis Sekolah

“…Selain itu, hubungan anakorangtua dan anak-guru yang berkualitas lebih tinggi, dan konsep diri dan kontrol diri anak yang lebih besar dapat dikaitkan dengan hasil kesehatan mental yang tangguh (Miller-Lewis, et al, 2013). Hasil analisis menunjukkan tidak terdapat perbedaan yang nyata antara resiliensi yang dimiliki remaja yang berasal dari keluarga miskin dengan yang tidak miskin, sebagaimana penelitian Delva et al (2014) bahwa kemiskinan tidak serta berpengaruh terhadap keterpaparan ancaman penggunaan obat-obatan terlarang oleh remaja. Keterpaparan terhadap faktor risiko lebih berpengaruh terhadap ketahanan remaja (Ombati & Ombati, 2016), maknanya remaja yang sering terpapar kenakalan remaja ataupun perilaku berisiko memiliki kemungkinan yang besar untuk ikut terlibat melakukannya.…”

Changes in socio-economic status and lipoproteins in Chilean adolescents: a 16-year longitudinal study

“…First, the sample of adolescents were recruited from neighborhoods of low to middle SES and thus are not representative of the larger population of Chilean youth. (41) Second, in spite of the temporal precedence of change in SES measured since infancy related to HDL-c, LDL-c, triglycerides, and total cholesterol measured in adolescence, we cannot infer causality. Third, the modified Graffar Index was designed to differentiate SES within low income populations.…”

“…There are a few notable limitations of the present study. First, the sample of adolescents was recruited from neighbourhoods of low to middle SES and thus is not representative of the larger population of Chilean youth ( 41 ) . Second, despite the temporal precedence of change in SES measured since infancy related to HDL-C, LDL-C, TAG and TC measured in adolescence, we cannot infer causality.…”

Systematic Observation of Disorder and Other Neighborhood Conditions in a Distressed Caribbean Community

“…Most research that has used systematic observation to measure neighborhood conditions has taken place in developed nations, particularly the United States, though this methodology is now also being used in some developing nations (e.g., Chow et al., ; de Freitas, Camargos, Xavier, Caiaffa, & Proietti, ). To our knowledge, the only use of systematic observation to measure neighborhood disorder in a developing nation took place in Chile (Delva et al., ; Sanhueza et al., ).…”