Media exposure and marijuana and alcohol use among adolescents.
We aimed to determine which media exposures are most strongly associated with marijuana and alcohol use among adolescents. In 2004, we surveyed 1,211 students at a large high school in suburban Pittsburgh regarding substance use, exposure to entertainment media, and covariates. Of the respondents, 52% were female, 8% were non-White, 27% reported smoking marijuana, and 60% reported using alcohol. They reported average exposure to 8.6 hr of media daily. In adjusted models, exposure to music was independently associated with marijuana use, but exposure to movies was independently associated with alcohol use. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for further research are discussed.
Primack
Brian A
BA
Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. bprimack@pitt.edu
Kraemer
Kevin L
KL
Fine
Michael J
MJ
Dalton
Madeline A
MA
D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008402:Mass Media / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D010379:Peer Group; D010414:Pennsylvania; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D012933:Social Identification; D014600:Utilization Review