Life Assets and Substance Use of High School Students in Songkhla

• Main Authors: Chalita Khirirat, Teerapat Teetharatkul, Jaturaporn Sangkool
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Mahidol University 2020-11-01
• Series: Siriraj Medical Journal
• Subjects: life assets; substance; student; high school
• Online Access: https://he02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/sirirajmedj/article/view/245391

Objective: To examine the association between life assets (including demographic factors) and substance use among high school students. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1,713 participating students were asked to fill out questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (e.g., mean, frequency and standard deviation); associating factors were analyzed via univariate analysis and ordinal logistic regression. Results: Among the participants, 67.5% were females with a mean age of 16.4±0.96 years. On average, the participants have a good level of overall life assets, except for community power. Those with a mean age of 14.3 years engaged in substance use early, with peer influence being a leading cause (8.1%). 48.0% of the participants had used substance in their lifetime, and 74.7% of them had used only 1 substance, with alcohol being the most prevalent (97.7%). An excellent level of participant life assets, especially wisdom power, was negatively associated with substance use (OOR = 0.48). Other significant factors that discouraged substance use were being an only child (OOR = 0.75), having a high cumulative grade point average (GPA) (OOR = 0.63), and belonging to a two-parent family. (OOR = 0.79) Conclusion: This study affirms a negative relationship between an excellent level of life assets, especially wisdom power, and substance use. Demographic factors like being an only child, having a high GPA, and belonging to two-parent households also showed a strong negative association with substance use.