Confirming the Prevalence, Characteristics, and Utility of Ecological Theory in Explaining Prescription Stimulant Misuse

Abstract

To examine the prevalence, characteristics, and utility of ecological theory in explaining prescription stimulant misuse, a probability sample of 499 students from one southern California university (response rate = 94.71%) completed a 100-item paper-based survey. The illicit use of prescription stimulants (IUPS) during college was reported by approximately 21% of students, with approximately 13% of users reporting 10 or more occurrences per academic term. Characteristics of use that were examined suggest a growing trend toward recreational use. We used structural equation modeling to replicate a previously tested ecological model. The number of significant paths in this replication study (i.e., 22) was similar to the number of significant paths in the original study (i.e., 25), and 21 of the significant paths from the original study retained their significance in the replication. Results confirm prescription stimulant misuse remains prevalent, characteristics of the behavior are cause for concern, and ecological theories are a useful tool for explaining the multifaceted nature of IUPS.