Changes in Alcohol, Cannabis, and Tobacco Use Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic in Adolescents in Catalonia : A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study
Rogés, Judit (Universitat de Vic–Universitat Central de Catalunya)
Pérez, Catherine (Institut de Recerca Sant Pau)
Continente, Xavier (Institut de Recerca Sant Pau)
Guerras, Juan Miguel (Centro Nacional de Epidemiología Instituto de Salud Carlos III)
Robles, Brenda (Universitat Rovira i Virgili)
Mateo, Inmaculada (Escuela de Andalucía de Salud Pública)
Vives-Cases, Carmen (Universitat d’Alacant)
Bosque Prous, Marina (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Psicobiologia i de Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut)
González Casals, Helena (Institut Germans Trias i Pujol)
Folch, Cinta (Institut Germans Trias i Pujol)
Bartroli, Montserrat (Institut de Recerca Sant Pau)
López Medina, María José (Institut de Recerca Sant Pau)
Fernández, Esteve (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge)
Espelt, Albert (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Psicobiologia i de Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut)

Additional title:	Future
Date:	2025
Description:	14 pàg.
Abstract:	This study analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco use among adolescents aged 14-19 in Central Catalonia across three periods. Data were obtained from two waves of the DESKcohort project. The first wave (n = 4641) was pre-COVID-19 and the second wave was divided into two phases: post-COVID-19 with restrictions (n = 3478) and post-COVID-19 without restrictions (n = 2900). The prevalence of monthly binge drinking, cannabis use in the last 30 days, and daily tobacco use was calculated. Poisson regression models estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) comparing two post-pandemic phases to the pre-pandemic baseline. Binge drinking increased during the restrictions among girls [aPR = 1. 5 (95%CI: 1. 1-2. 1)] and boys [aPR = 1. 7 (95%CI: 1. 3-2. 3)]. Cannabis use decreased during restrictions and remained low post-pandemic, especially among girls [aPR = 0. 6 (95%CI: 0. 5-0. 8)] and boys in the 4th Compulsory Secondary Education (CSE) [aPR = 0. 4 (95%CI: 0. 3-0. 6)], and girls in the 2nd Post-Compulsory Secondary Education/Intermediate-Level Training Cycles (PCSE/ILTC) [aPR = 0. 7 (95%CI: 0. 6-0. 9)]. Daily tobacco use also dropped among boys in the 4th year of CSE [aPR = 0. 5 (95%CI: 0. 3-0. 7)] and girls in the 2nd year of PCSE/ILTC [aPR = 0. 7 (95%CI: 0. 6-0. 9)]. The COVID-19 pandemic has created a unique opportunity to reassess patterns of adolescent substance use in a context of sudden social disruption. The findings highlight the need to denormalize alcohol and tobacco use and promote healthier adolescent behavior through education.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió definida a EGRETA: publishersversion
Subject:	SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being

DOI: 10.3390/future3030015

14 p, 807.2 KB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Institut d'Investigació en Ciencies de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP)
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Institut de Recerca Sant Pau
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles