Changes in maternal marital status are associated with young adults' cannabis use: evidence from a 21-year follow-up of a birth cohort

International Journal of Epidemiology Advance Access 05/04/06

Mohammad R Hayatbakhsh, Jake M Najman, Konrad Jamrozik, Abdullah A Mamun,
Gail M Williams and Rosa Alati

UKCIA has a copy in the research library here.

Abstract:

Background: Relatively little is known about why almost half of young adults in Australia have
used cannabis. Because the upwards trend in use of cannabis has been coincident
with an increase in marital breakdown, this study examines the relationship
between marital status, marital changes, and the onset of cannabis use.

Methods: Data are from the Mater-University Study of Pregnancy (MUSP), a 21-year
prospective study in Brisbane, Australia. The present study is based on the 3008
mothers and their children for whom there were complete follow-up data at
21 years. Outcomes were self-reported cannabis use at age 21 and early onset
(before age 15) cannabis use as judged from a retrospective report obtained at
21 years. Analyses were conducted using multivariate binomial and multinomial
logistic regression.

Results: Change in maternal marital status when the child was aged between 5 and 14 years
was significantly associated with increased risk of cannabis use [odds ratio (OR) 5
1.7; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.4–2.0 for one or two marital changes and
OR 5 2.3; 95% CI 1.5–3.4 for three or more marital changes], after adjustment for
a range of potential confounders.

Conclusion: Experience of changes in maternal marital status in mid- to late-childhood is a
significant predictor of subsequent and early use of cannabis by the child. This
holds true even after allowing for certain possible causes and consequences of
marital breakdown.


Related articles

Media articles: Child drug use linked to failed marriages

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Adam Medcalf
[www.ukcia.org]
UK Cannabis Internet Activists
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This article does seem to down cannabis, a touch.


I wonder what the Changes in maternal marital status are associated with the more problematic drugs like Alcohol, or nicotine, which I don't think children should experiment with any of these drugs, yet out of the three I've mentioned..

However if there was no choice , and isn't cannabis the least harmful?


I'd like to see more comparative data, off of all the other recreational drugs, if it was possible, would be more balance for me, in respect of health that is...

winnie

So the study states that if your mother divorces when you are within an age bracket you are more likely to smoke cannabis later?
That is not any real revelation. The kid will suffer some from the divorce, gain a bit of extra independence. Later, when he/she finds out about cannabis, he/she smokes some.

Jouni

I'm sure this study will also give seemingly positive results with any other form of drug, I think this has more to do with the status and purpose drugs have gained in our society then their actual chemical properties.