The Changing Relationship Between Hobby Engagement and Substance Use in Young People: Latent Growth Modelling of the Add Health Cohort

Abstract

Cross-sectional and some longitudinal evidence suggests doing hobbies can reduce substance use, but findings have been inconsistent, and whether associations differ across adolescence remains unclear. This study included 7454 Add Health participants (50% female, 77% White, age mean=14.95 and SD = 1.56). Participants were split into three groups, according to whether they were early (aged 11–14 at baseline), mid (aged 15–16), or late (aged 17–20) adolescents at baseline. The trajectories of binge drinking, marijuana, and tobacco use were analysed in latent growth models across Waves 1–5 (1994–2018). Concurrent associations between substance use and hobby engagement were tested at Waves 1–3 separately in the three age groups. Doing hobbies more frequently was associated with lower odds of binge drinking and marijuana and tobacco use in early adolescence. Although there was initially a similar protective association in mid and late adolescence, this had reversed by Wave 3 for binge drinking and marijuana use, when participants were young adults. This change in the association could be a result of differing social contexts, changes in peer influence, or an indication that creative hobbies are particularly beneficial. It could explain previous inconsistent findings and demonstrates the importance of considering developmental differences when investigating engagement in hobbies.