PREVALENCE AND CORRELATES OF CANNABIS USE AMONGST KWAZULU-NATAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Thursday, 21 August 2014: 10:45 AM
Kahtnu 2 (Dena'ina Center)
Siyabonga Dlamini, MPH , UKZN, Durban, South Africa
Noddy Jinabhai, MD , UKZN, Durban, South Africa
Tonya Esterhuizen, MPH , UKZN, Durban, South Africa
Gerald Friedland, MD , Yale, NewHaven, CT
Myra Taylor, PhD , University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

INTRODUCTION: South Africa has a high prevalence of substance abuse with cannabis the most prevalent substance used after alcohol.  The negative effects of cannabis use requires targeted interventions to reduce such use. Aim.  To investigate the prevalence and define characteristics of cannabis use among students that can be targeted by school-based interventions.  

METHODS . A cross sectional study was undertaken  in KwaZulu-Natal, among grade 9 students at 28  randomly selected  high schools, using  a self-reporting questionnaire investigating the prevalence of substance use and factors influencing this use using the I-Change model as a theoretical framework.  The responses of cannabis users were compared to students who had never used cannabis and multivariate analysis was used  to identify correlates of cannabis use.  R

RESULTS . There were 1323 respondents, 49.2% males, mean age 15.52 (SD 1.58), and  half (49.6%) attended. urban schools  Students who had used cannabis were older and  obtained lower school marks the previous.year. Of 145 (11.0%) who reported ever using cannabis, more were males (17.0%) than females (4.7%) (P<0.005), more were urban (14.2%) than rural (7.8%) (P=0.001) of whom half had used cannabis in the past month, and 4.0% had used cannabis in the past few days.  Ever used cannabis was associated with social norms supportive of cannabis use (p<0.005). Using logistic regression cannabis use was associated with ever-using alcohol (OR 7.41, 95% CI: 3.1, 17.7), solvent inhalants (OR 2.32: 95% CI: 1.03, 5.18) and being sexually experienced (OR 2.56: 1.16, 5.65).  Students who ever used cannabis also reported positive attitudes towards such use (OR 2.19, 95% CI: 1.48, 3.25). 

CONCLUSIONS . School-based interventions should direct efforts at poly substance use and sexual risk behaviour and focus especially on the attitudes and social influences of males not doing well academically at school, targeting students in earlier grades.

 

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