Edmund Silins1, David M Fergusson2, George C Patton3, L John Horwood2, Craig A Olsson4, Delyse M Hutchinson5, Louisa Degenhardt6, Robert J Tait7, Rohan Borschmann8, Carolyn Coffey9, John W Toumbourou10, Jake M Najman11, Richard P Mattick12. 1. National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: e.silins@unsw.edu.au. 2. Christchurch Health and Development Study, Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand. 3. Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. 4. Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Deakin University, VIC, Australia. 5. National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Deakin University, VIC, Australia. 6. National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. 7. National Drug Research Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia. 8. Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. 9. Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. 10. Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Deakin University, VIC, Australia. 11. School of Public Health and School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. 12. National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The relative contributions of cannabis and alcohol use to educational outcomes are unclear. We examined the extent to which adolescent cannabis or alcohol use predicts educational attainment in emerging adulthood. METHODS: Participant-level data were integrated from three longitudinal studies from Australia and New Zealand (Australian Temperament Project, Christchurch Health and Development Study, and Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort Study). The number of participants varied by analysis (N=2179-3678) and were assessed on multiple occasions between ages 13 and 25. We described the association between frequency of cannabis or alcohol use prior to age 17 and high school non-completion, university non-enrolment, and degree non-attainment by age 25. Two other measures of alcohol use in adolescence were also examined. RESULTS: After covariate adjustment using a propensity score approach, adolescent cannabis use (weekly+) was associated with 1½ to two-fold increases in the odds of high school non-completion (OR=1.60, 95% CI=1.09-2.35), university non-enrolment (OR=1.51, 95% CI=1.06-2.13), and degree non-attainment (OR=1.96, 95% CI=1.36-2.81). In contrast, adjusted associations for all measures of adolescent alcohol use were inconsistent and weaker. Attributable risk estimates indicated adolescent cannabis use accounted for a greater proportion of the overall rate of non-progression with formal education than adolescent alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS: Findings are important to the debate about the relative harms of cannabis and alcohol use. Adolescent cannabis use is a better marker of lower educational attainment than adolescent alcohol use and identifies an important target population for preventive intervention.
BACKGROUND: The relative contributions of cannabis and alcohol use to educational outcomes are unclear. We examined the extent to which adolescent cannabis or alcohol use predicts educational attainment in emerging adulthood. METHODS:Participant-level data were integrated from three longitudinal studies from Australia and New Zealand (Australian Temperament Project, Christchurch Health and Development Study, and Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort Study). The number of participants varied by analysis (N=2179-3678) and were assessed on multiple occasions between ages 13 and 25. We described the association between frequency of cannabis or alcohol use prior to age 17 and high school non-completion, university non-enrolment, and degree non-attainment by age 25. Two other measures of alcohol use in adolescence were also examined. RESULTS: After covariate adjustment using a propensity score approach, adolescent cannabis use (weekly+) was associated with 1½ to two-fold increases in the odds of high school non-completion (OR=1.60, 95% CI=1.09-2.35), university non-enrolment (OR=1.51, 95% CI=1.06-2.13), and degree non-attainment (OR=1.96, 95% CI=1.36-2.81). In contrast, adjusted associations for all measures of adolescent alcohol use were inconsistent and weaker. Attributable risk estimates indicated adolescent cannabis use accounted for a greater proportion of the overall rate of non-progression with formal education than adolescent alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS: Findings are important to the debate about the relative harms of cannabis and alcohol use. Adolescent cannabis use is a better marker of lower educational attainment than adolescent alcohol use and identifies an important target population for preventive intervention.
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