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Patterns of cannabis use and prospective associations with health issues among young males
Author(s) -
Baggio Stéphanie,
N'Goran Alexandra A.,
Deline Stéphane,
Studer Joseph,
Dupuis Marc,
Henchoz Yves,
MohlerKuo Meichun,
Daeppen JeanBernard,
Gmel Gerhard
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0965-2140
DOI - 10.1111/add.12490
Subject(s) - cannabis , medicine , depression (economics) , psychiatry , prospective cohort study , mental health , longitudinal study , cannabis dependence , young adult , cohort , cohort study , population , demography , psychology , gerontology , environmental health , pathology , cannabidiol , sociology , economics , macroeconomics
Background and Aims To test prospective associations between cannabis disorder symptoms/frequency of cannabis use and health issues and to investigate stability versus transience in cannabis use trajectories. Design Two waves of data collection from the longitudinal C ohort S tudy on S ubstance U se R isk F actors ( C ‐ SURF ). Setting A representative sample of young Swiss men in their early 20s from the general population. Participants A total of 5084 young men (mean age 19.98 ± 1.19 years at time 1). Measurements Cannabis use (life‐time use, frequency of use, cannabis disorder symptoms) and self‐reported measures of health issues (depression, mental/physical health, health consequences) were assessed. Significant changes in cannabis use were tested using t ‐test/ W ilcoxon's rank test for paired data. Cross‐lagged panel models provided evidence regarding longitudinal associations between cannabis use and health issues. Findings Most of the participants (84.5%) remained in the same use category and cannabis use kept to similar levels at times 1 and 2 ( P = 0.114 and P = 0.755; average of 15 ± 2.8 months between times 1 and 2). Cross‐lagged panel models showed that cannabis disorder symptoms predicted later health issues (e.g. depression, β = 0.087, P < 0.001; health consequences, β = 0.045, P < 0.05). The reverse paths from health issues to cannabis disorder symptoms and the cross‐lagged panel model between frequency of cannabis use and health issues were non‐significant. Conclusions Patterns of cannabis use showed substantial continuity among young S wiss men in their early 20s. The number of symptoms of cannabis use disorder, rather than the frequency of cannabis use, is a clinically important measure of cannabis use among young S wiss men.