Abstract
Background
Increased use of marijuana among youths in Mississippi, United States is of great concern to Public Health in the 21st century. This study examined the prevalence of marijuana use according to gender, race and ethnicity.
Method
The data for this study was obtained from Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) for 2015, a cross-sectional survey of the Mississippi High School Students, which examined the prevalence and trends in the use of marijuana according to gender, race and ethnicity. The trends in the percentage of students that reported the use of marijuana and its product was examined by univariate t-test statistical analysis at p < 0.05. The frequency distribution was used to determine the percentage differences in the groups.
Results
The students that ever used marijuana was 39.4% in Blacks, 39.1% in Hispanics and 31.0% in Whites. A total of 13.7% male and female (4.8%) used marijuana before 13 years of age. In addition, the students currently using marijuana include Blacks (10.9%), Hispanic (13.7%) and Whites (7.2%). Approximately 9.7% of students ever used the synthetic product, which was higher in Hispanic (18.7%) when compared to Blacks (8.8%) and Whites (9.1%).
Conclusion
The use of marijuana is significantly higher among the male youth in Mississippi than females, which is a major public health concern. Furthermore, there was higher rates of smoking marijuana in Hispanics and Blacks when compared to White youth.
References
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©2018 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
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Articles in the same Issue
- Editorial
- From under-eating to overindulgence – clinician perspectives on caring for adolescents with eating disorders
- Reviews
- Theory analysis for Pender’s health promotion model (HPM) by Barnum’s criteria: a critical perspective
- Marijuana use among youths in Mississippi, United States
- Original Articles
- Gynecological problems among adolescent girls in a tertiary care centre of South Andaman district
- The effect of educating the clients of rehab centers on the frequency of methadone poisoning among children: a study from Iran
- Sibling cigarette smoking and peer network influences on substance use potential among adolescent: a population based study
- Opposite-sex relationship questionnaire for female adolescents: development and psychometric evaluation
- Does it take a village? Fostering gender equity among early adolescents in Nepal
- Correlation between vitamin D and blood pressure in adolescents
- Alcohol use in adolescence: 5 years admissions at a pediatric emergency department
- Relationship between adaptation and self-esteem in addicted female prisoners in the south east of Iran
- Improving the self-efficacy of teachers in schools: results of health promotion program
- Improving the attitudes of primary care practitioners toward adolescent care: a pre-post intervention pilot study
- Association between handgrip strength and back strength in adolescent and adult cricket players
- Prevalence and determinants of smoking behavior among male school adolescents in Saudi Arabia
- Risk for eating disorders and body composition among adolescent female and male athletes and non-athlete controls
- Predicting high school students’ health-promoting lifestyle: a test of the information, motivation, behavioral skills model
- The effectiveness of group hope therapy on the mental health of type II diabetic patients referred to the diabetes clinic in South East Iran
- Dental fluorosis and associated risk factors in early adolescents in India
- Short Communication
- Illness beliefs of adolescents with CFS and their parents: the perceived causes of illness and beliefs about recovery