Prevalence, correlates, and associated psychological problems of substance use in Korean adolescents.

Subin Park,Yeni Kim

doi:10.1186/s12889-016-2731-8

Abstract

BackgroundSubstance use among Korean adolescents has been increasing, but little is known about the correlates of substance use in this population. Identification of the correlates is required for development of preventive approaches that aim to reduce or eliminate risk. Therefore, we examined the prevalence and correlates of substance use including psychological problems in a nationwide sample of Korean adolescents.MethodsData from the 2014 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey, collected from 72,060 adolescents aged 12–18 years (mean age 14.94 ± 1.75 years), were analyzed. Participants’ lifetime experiences with substances (alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs) were assessed. Participants’ perceived stress, depressive mood, and suicidality during the previous 12 months were also investigated.ResultsThe lifetime prevalence estimates of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use were 43.0, 19.9, and 0.4 % of the participants, respectively. The most commonly used illicit drugs were inhalants. Older age, male gender, non-residence with family, low parental educational level and socio-economic status, and low academic achievement were positively and significantly associated with substance use. Substance (alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug) use was positively and significantly associated with severe stress, depressive mood, and suicidality during the previous 12 months, with the highest odds ratios obtained from illicit drug use.ConclusionsThese results indicate that the use of substances (alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs) among Korean adolescents is associated with socially disadvantaged families, psychological problems, and risky behavior. Health education including dependency prevention programs is needed for these high-risk groups.

Highlights

Substance use among Korean adolescents has been increasing, but little is known about the correlates of substance use in this population
We investigated prevalence as well as the socio-demographic correlates and associated psychological problems of substance use in a nationally representative sample of Korean adolescents
The most common drug class used for the first time was inhalant (n = 139, 44.8 % of respondents), followed by cannabis (n = 32, 10.3 % of respondents) (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

Substance use among Korean adolescents has been increasing, but little is known about the correlates of substance use in this population. We examined the prevalence and correlates of substance use including psychological problems in a nationwide sample of Korean adolescents. Adolescence is an important developmental stage during which new activities, including social, emotional, and sexual relationships, are experienced, and many lifestyle habits are established. Unhealthy behaviors such as drinking, smoking, and illicit drug use commence more commonly during adolescence than at other developmental stages [1]. These behaviors are closely related to increased morbidity and mortality [2, 3]. Risk factors for drug experience include drug use by parents and friends [15, 16], low academic performance [17, 18], low self-esteem [19], depressive symptoms [20], history of stressful events [21], and early use of alcohol and cigarettes [22, 23]

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Discussion

Conclusion