Sex, drugs and STDs: Preliminary findings from the Belfast Youth Development Study

McAloney, Kareena; McCrystal, Patrick; Percy, Andrew

doi:10.3109/09687630903074826

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…For example, in the United States an increased risk of violence and sexual risk behavior was found among late adolescents/young adults who reported use of alcohol and illicit drugs (Baskin-Sommers & Sommers, 2006). Similarly in Northern Ireland being sexual active was significantly associated with cigarette smoking and with use of alcohol, cannabis, and ecstasy among 17-19 year olds; and risky sexual behaviors such as early sexual initiation, number of partners, and casual sexual activity were also associated with a range of licit and illicit substances (McAloney, McCrystal, & Percy, 2010). Connell et al (2009) employed latent variable techniques in their analysis of sex and substance use behaviors among high school students in America.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Clustering of Sex and Substance Use Behaviors in Adolescence

McAloney¹

2015

Substance Use & Misuse

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While experimentation with risky behaviors is often considered developmentally appropriate in adolescence it is important to understand how young people experience these behaviors, and the potential for multiple risk exposures as a result of participation in substance use and sexual behaviors. These findings highlight the clustering of substance use and sexual behaviors, and indicate variations in vulnerability to participation in multiple risk behaviors by gender.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Clustering of Sex and Substance Use Behaviors in Adolescence

McAloney¹

2015

Substance Use & Misuse

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“…Findings suggest associations between exposure to community violence and higher levels of depression, psychotic symptoms, and substance misuse in adolescence [ 38 ] and an association between substance use and sexual risk behaviour in late adolescence [ 39 ]. BYDS data have also been used to investigate the relationship between affluence, neighbourhood deprivation, drinking patterns and alcohol-related health problems [ 40 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Belfast Youth Development Study (BYDS): A prospective cohort study of the initiation, persistence and desistance of substance use from adolescence to adulthood in Northern Ireland

et al. 2018

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BackgroundSubstance misuse persists as a major public health issue worldwide with significant costs for society. The development of interventions requires methodologically sound studies to explore substance misuse causes and consequences. This Cohort description paper outlines the design of the Belfast Youth Development (BYDS), one of the largest cohort studies of its kind in the UK. The study was established to address the need for a long-term prospective cohort study to investigate the initiation, persistence and desistance of substance use, alongside life course processes in adolescence and adulthood. The paper provides an overview of BYDS as a longitudinal data source for investigating substance misuse and outlines the study measures, sample retention and characteristics. We also outline how the BYDS data have been used to date and highlight areas ripe for future work by interested researchers.MethodsThe study began in 2000/1 when participants (n = 3,834) were pupils in their first year of post-primary education (age 10/11 years, school year 8) from over 40 schools in Northern Ireland. Children were followed during the school years: Year 9 (in 2002; aged 12; n = 4,343), Year 10 (in 2003; aged 13; n = 4,522), Year 11 (in 2004; aged 14; n = 3,965) and Year 12 (in 2005; aged 15; n = 3,830) and on two more occasions: 2006/07 (aged 16/17; n = 2,335) and 2010/11 (aged 20/21; n = 2,087). Data were collected on substance use, family, schools, neighbourhoods, offending behaviour and mental health. The most novel aspect of the study was the collection of detailed social network data via friendship nominations allowing the investigation of the spread of substance use via friendship networks. In 2004 (school year 11; respondents aged 14), a sub-sample of participants’ parents (n = 1,097) and siblings (n = 211) also completed measures on substance use and family dynamics.ResultsThe most recent wave (in 2010/2011; respondents aged 20/21 years) indicated lifetime use of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis among the cohort was 94, 70 and 45 per cent, respectively. The paper charts the development of drug use behaviour and some of the key results to date are presented. We have also identified a number of key areas ripe for analysis by interested researchers including sexual health and education.ConclusionsWe have established a cohort with detailed data from adolescence to young adulthood, supplemented with parent and sibling reports and peer network data. The dataset, allowing for investigation of trajectories of adolescent substance use, associated factors and subsequent long-term outcomes, constitutes an important resource for longitudinal substance misuse research. A planned further wave as the cohort enter their late twenties and potential to link to administrative data sources, will further enrich the datasets.

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“…Not all young people will engage in these substance use and sexual behaviours, but among those who do there is evidence that they will engage in more than one of these, in a cluster-like fashion. Cigarette use has consistently been linked with use of other substances (Conway et al, 2018;Ramo, Liu & Prochaska, 2012;Richter, Pugh, Smith & Ball, 2017), as well as with sexual risk behaviours (McAloney, McCrystal & Percy, 2010;Ritchwood, DeCoster, Metzger, Bolland and Danielson, 2016). Adverse sexual outcomes and risk behaviours have been linked with a range of substance use behaviours, including smoking, alcohol consumption and cannabis use (Edelman et al, 2015;Young, Burke & Nic Gabhainn, 2018).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Clustering of lifetime substance use and sexual intercourse among young people: Analysis of two school-based surveys

McAloney‐Kocaman

Rogon

Ireland

2019

Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse

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Adolescents commonly engage in substance use and sexual behaviours which pose risks for their health. Secondary data analysis of two school based surveys explored the clustering of lifetime use of cigarettes, alcohol, cannabis, and engagement in sexual intercourse among 2489 adolescents in Scotland and 1405 adolescents in Northern Ireland. All four behaviours were clustered with substantially higher prevalence than expected (11 and 24 times higher respectively). Multiple logistic regression models indicated associations of the four behaviour cluster with sociodemographic factors, with family structure operating as a predictor of clustering across the sample, and deprivation operating as a predictor for the Scottish sample.This suggests a need to focus on the interdependence of risk behaviours and factors associated with engagement in risk clusters in distinct cultural settings.

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Sex, drugs and STDs: Preliminary findings from the Belfast Youth Development Study

Cited by 4 publications

References 18 publications

Clustering of Sex and Substance Use Behaviors in Adolescence

Clustering of Sex and Substance Use Behaviors in Adolescence

The Belfast Youth Development Study (BYDS): A prospective cohort study of the initiation, persistence and desistance of substance use from adolescence to adulthood in Northern Ireland

Clustering of lifetime substance use and sexual intercourse among young people: Analysis of two school-based surveys

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