Hudson Reddon1,2, M-J Milloy1,3, Evan Wood1,3, Ekaterina Nosova1, Thomas Kerr1,3, Kora DeBeck4,5. 1. BC Centre on Substance Use, University of British Columbia, 400-1045 Howe St, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2A9, Canada. 2. CIHR Canadian HIV Trials Network, 588-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 3E6, Canada. 3. Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, ,Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada. 4. BC Centre on Substance Use, University of British Columbia, 400-1045 Howe St, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2A9, Canada. bccsu-kd@bccsu.ubc.ca. 5. School of Public Policy, SFU Harbour Centre, Simon Fraser University, 515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 5K3, Canada. bccsu-kd@bccsu.ubc.ca.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is concern that cannabis use negatively affects vulnerable groups such as youth; however, the relationship between cannabis use and health care utilization has not been well characterized in this population. We longitudinally evaluated the association between daily cannabis use and hospitalization among a prospective cohort of street-involved youth. METHODS: Data were collected from the At-Risk Youth Study (ARYS) in Vancouver, Canada, from September 2005 to May 2015. Participants were interviewed semi-annually and multivariable generalized estimating equation (GEE) logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between daily cannabis use and hospitalization. RESULTS: A total of 1216 participants (31.2% female) were included in this analysis, and 373 (30.7%) individuals reported hospitalization at some point during the study period. In a multivariable GEE analysis, daily cannabis use was not significantly associated with hospitalization (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 1.17, 95% Confidence interval [CI] = 0.84, 1.65). We did observe a significant interaction between daily cannabis use and sex (AOR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.34, 0.77), whereby cannabis use was associated with a decreased odds of hospitalization among males (AOR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.47, 0.78), yet was not significantly associated with hospitalization among females (AOR = 1.19, 95% CI = 0.84, 1.67). CONCLUSIONS: The finding that daily cannabis use was not associated with hospitalization among street-involved youth is encouraging given the high rates of cannabis use in this population and the expansion of cannabis legalization and regulation. Future studies, however, are warranted to monitor possible changes in the consequences of cannabis use as cannabis legalization and regulation increase internationally.
BACKGROUND: There is concern that cannabis use negatively affects vulnerable groups such as youth; however, the relationship between cannabis use and health care utilization has not been well characterized in this population. We longitudinally evaluated the association between daily cannabis use and hospitalization among a prospective cohort of street-involved youth. METHODS: Data were collected from the At-Risk Youth Study (ARYS) in Vancouver, Canada, from September 2005 to May 2015. Participants were interviewed semi-annually and multivariable generalized estimating equation (GEE) logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between daily cannabis use and hospitalization. RESULTS: A total of 1216 participants (31.2% female) were included in this analysis, and 373 (30.7%) individuals reported hospitalization at some point during the study period. In a multivariable GEE analysis, daily cannabis use was not significantly associated with hospitalization (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 1.17, 95% Confidence interval [CI] = 0.84, 1.65). We did observe a significant interaction between daily cannabis use and sex (AOR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.34, 0.77), whereby cannabis use was associated with a decreased odds of hospitalization among males (AOR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.47, 0.78), yet was not significantly associated with hospitalization among females (AOR = 1.19, 95% CI = 0.84, 1.67). CONCLUSIONS: The finding that daily cannabis use was not associated with hospitalization among street-involved youth is encouraging given the high rates of cannabis use in this population and the expansion of cannabis legalization and regulation. Future studies, however, are warranted to monitor possible changes in the consequences of cannabis use as cannabis legalization and regulation increase internationally.
Entities:
Keywords:
At-risk youth; Cannabis; Hospitalization; Illicit drug use; Prospective cohort study
Authors: Robert I Block; Daniel S O'Leary; Richard D Hichwa; Jean C Augustinack; Laura L Boles Ponto; M M Ghoneim; Stephan Arndt; Richard R Hurtig; G Leonard Watkins; James A Hall; Peter E Nathan; Nancy C Andreasen Journal: Pharmacol Biochem Behav Date: 2002-05 Impact factor: 3.533
Authors: Susan Goodwin Gerberich; Stephen Sidney; Barbara L Braun; Irene S Tekawa; Kimberly K Tolan; Charles P Quesenberry Journal: Ann Epidemiol Date: 2003-04 Impact factor: 3.797
Authors: Ashley Wettlaufer; Roxana O Florica; Mark Asbridge; Douglas Beirness; Jeffrey Brubacher; Russell Callaghan; Benedikt Fischer; Gerrit Gmel; Sameer Imtiaz; Robert E Mann; Anna McKiernan; Jürgen Rehm Journal: Drug Alcohol Depend Date: 2017-02-20 Impact factor: 4.492
Authors: Sameer Imtiaz; Kevin D Shield; Michael Roerecke; Joyce Cheng; Svetlana Popova; Paul Kurdyak; Benedikt Fischer; Jürgen Rehm Journal: Addiction Date: 2016-01-05 Impact factor: 6.526
Authors: Edmund Silins; L John Horwood; George C Patton; David M Fergusson; Craig A Olsson; Delyse M Hutchinson; Elizabeth Spry; John W Toumbourou; Louisa Degenhardt; Wendy Swift; Carolyn Coffey; Robert J Tait; Primrose Letcher; Jan Copeland; Richard P Mattick Journal: Lancet Psychiatry Date: 2014-09-10 Impact factor: 27.083