Out-of-School Time and Adolescent Substance Use

Deborah Lowe Vandell,Kenneth T.H Lee

doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.07.003

Deborah Lowe Vandell, Kenneth T.H Lee

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.07.003

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Abstract

PurposeHigh levels of adolescent substance use are linked to lower academic achievement, reduced schooling, and delinquency. We assess four types of out-of-school time (OST) contexts—unsupervised time with peers, sports, organized activities, and paid employment—in relation to tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use at the end of high school. Other research has examined these OST contexts in isolation, limiting efforts to disentangle potentially confounded relations. MethodsLongitudinal data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (N = 766) examined associations between different OST contexts during high school and substance use at the end of high school. ResultsUnsupervised time with peers increased the odds of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use, whereas sports increased the odds of alcohol use and decreased the odds of marijuana use. Paid employment increased the odds of tobacco and alcohol use. Unsupervised time with peers predicted increased amounts of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use, whereas sports predicted decreased amounts of tobacco and marijuana use and increased amounts of alcohol use at the end of high school. ConclusionsAlthough unsupervised time with peers, sports, and paid employment were differentially linked to the odds of substance use, only unsupervised time with peers and sports were significantly associated with the amounts of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use at the end of high school. These findings underscore the value of considering OST contexts in relation to strategies to promote adolescent health. Reducing unsupervised time with peers and increasing sports participation may have positive impacts on reducing substance use.

Highlights

This study examines relations between four different out-of-school time contexts and adolescent substance use
We find the attrition between age 15 and end of high school to be random, as the percentage of any substance use at age 15 was effectively consistent if they were in the sample or if they were a function of attrition
Consistent with predictions of Routine Activity Theory [6] and with prior empirical research [4], more unsupervised time with peers was found to increase both the odds and amount of substance use reported by adolescents at the end of high school

Summary

Introduction

This study examines relations between four different out-of-school time contexts and adolescent substance use. Four common OST contexts are considered as follows: (1) unsupervised time with peers; (2) sports; (3) other organized activities such as band, speech, and student government; and (4) paid employment. These OST contexts constitute much of adolescents’ discretionary time outside the school day [3]. Consistent with Routine Activity Theory, prior empirical research has found unsupervised time with peers to be linked to increased drug and alcohol use [5e7]. This research did not, take into account other OST contexts, such as organized activities and paid employment Perhaps, it is not unsupervised time with peers, per se, but the lack of organized activities that is linked to substance use

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