Association of Social Network Characteristics with Substance Use among College-Going Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

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Abstract

Background:

Family members, peers, and significant others are part of a college student’s social network. This cross-sectional study aimed to

Assess substance use prevalence and patterns among college students,
Compare the social network characteristics of substance users (SUs) and non-users (NUs), and
Explore the association of social factors with substance use.

Methods:

The study involved 902 students from 11 Government and aided private degree colleges. Demographic and clinical data sheet, ASSIST, and Social Network Questionnaire were used to collect the data.

Results:

Prevalence of substance use was 26.9% and higher among males (21.5%). Alcohol (20%) and tobacco (15.5%) were the commonly used substances. SUs’ network was composed of unmarried persons (p<0.002), male members (p<0.001), and friends (p<0.001) with substance use. In contrast, the NUs’ network comprised parents (p<0.016) and siblings (p<0.001). NUs had a higher number of influential members in the network, whereas SUs had more closeness with members and received higher financial support (p<0.001). Participant’s age (OR 1.27), family history of substance use (OR 2.46), parents’ occupation (Business: OR 1.79, being employee in the government or industry: OR 1.76),and having three substance-using members in the network (OR .211) were found to be risk factors.

Conclusion:

Social network has an association with substance use among college students. Social-network-based interventions may benefit them.

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Most cited references 42

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Identifying mechanisms for facilitating knowledge to action strategies targeting the built environment

Ghazal S Fazli, Maria Creatore, Flora Matheson … (2017)

Background In recent years, obesity-related diseases have been on the rise globally resulting in major challenges for health systems and society as a whole. Emerging research in population health suggests that interventions targeting the built environment may help reduce the burden of obesity and type 2 diabetes. However, translation of the evidence on the built environment into effective policy and planning changes requires engagement and collaboration between multiple sectors and government agencies for designing neighborhoods that are more conducive to healthy and active living. In this study, we identified knowledge gaps and other barriers to evidence-based decision-making and policy development related to the built environment; as well as the infrastructure, processes, and mechanisms needed to drive policy changes in this area. Methods We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis of data collected through consultations with a broad group of stakeholders (N = 42) from Southern Ontario, Canada, within various sectors (public health, urban planning, and transportation) and levels of government (federal, provincial, and municipalities). Relevant themes were classified based on the specific phase of the knowledge-to-action cycle (research, translation, and implementation) in which they were most closely aligned. Results We identified 5 themes including: 1) the need for policy-informed and actionable research (e.g. health economic analyses and policy evaluations); 2) impactful messaging that targets all relevant sectors to create the political will necessary to drive policy change; 3) common measures and tools to increase capacity for monitoring and surveillance of built environment changes; (4) intersectoral collaboration and alignment within and between levels of government to enable collective actions and provide mechanisms for sharing of resources and expertise, (5) aligning public and private sector priorities to generate public demand and support for community action; and, (6) solution-focused implementation of research that will be tailored to meet the needs of policymakers and planners. Additional research priorities and key policy and planning actions were also noted. Conclusion Our research highlights the necessity of involving stakeholders in identifying inter-sectoral solutions to develop and translate actionable research on the built environment into effective policy and planning initiatives.

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Socioeconomic status and substance use among young adults: a comparison across constructs and drugs.

Megan E. Patrick, Patrick Wightman, Robert Schoeni … (2012)

Little consensus exists regarding the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and substance use. This study examined the associations of three indicators of family SES during childhood--income, wealth, and parental education--with smoking, alcohol use, and marijuana use during young adulthood.

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Psychosocial correlates of physical activity and sedentary leisure habits in young adolescents: the Teens Eating for Energy and Nutrition at School study.

Kathryn Schmitz, Leslie A. Lytle, Glenn Phillips … (2002)

Low levels of physical activity (PA) and highly sedentary leisure habits (SLH) in youth may establish behavioral patterns that will predispose youth to increased chronic disease risk in adulthood. The purpose of this paper was to examine associations of demographic and psychosocial factors with self-reported PA and SLH in young adolescents. A general linear mixed model predicted self-reported PA and SLH in the spring from demographic and psychosocial variables measured the previous fall in 3798 seventh grade students. PA and SLH differed by race, with Caucasian students reporting among the highest PA and lowest SLH. Perceptions of higher academic rank or expectations predicted higher PA and lower SLH. Depressive symptomatology predicted higher SLH scores but not PA. Higher self-reported value of health, appearance, and achievement predicted higher PA and lower SLH in girls. Girls who reported that their mothers had an authoritative parenting style also reported higher PA and lower SLH. Determinants of PA and SLH appear to differ from each other, particularly in boys. Development of effective programs to increase PA and/or decrease SLH in young adolescents should be based on a clear understanding of the determinants of these behaviors. Copyright 2002 American Health Foundation and Elsevier Science (USA).

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Indian J Psychol Med

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Indian J Psychol Med

Journal ID (publisher-id): SZJ

Journal ID (hwp): spszj

Title: Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine

Publisher: SAGE Publications (Sage India: New Delhi, India )

ISSN (Print): 0253-7176

ISSN (Electronic): 0975-1564

Publication date (Electronic): 1 February 2023

Publication date (Print): March 2023

Volume: 45

Issue: 2

Pages: 155-161

Affiliations

[1 ] Psychiatric Social Work, Dept. of Psychiatry, JSS Medical College and Hospital, Mysuru, Karnataka, India.

[2 ] Dept. of Psychiatric Social Work, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.

[3 ] Dept. of Psychiatry and Centre for Addiction Medicine, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.

[4 ] Dept. of Biostatistics, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.

Author notes

[*]Pradeep kumar P. C., Assistant Professor of Psychiatric Social Work, Dept. of Psychiatry, JSS Medical College and Hospital, Mysuru 570004, Karnataka, India. E-mail: pcpradeepshetty@ 123456gmail.com

Author information

Pradeep Kumar P.C. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0881-2954

Sojan Antony https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6543-5361

A. Thirumoorthy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1120-9259

Article

Publisher ID: 10.1177_02537176221148971

DOI: 10.1177/02537176221148971

PMC ID: 10011842

PubMed ID: 36925503

SO-VID: b3839ebd-9c26-44eb-bfd8-3d54324522cd

License:

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page ( https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).