A prospective study of methamphetamine use as a predictor of high school non-attendance in Cape Town, South Africa.
BACKGROUND
This prospective study investigated the association between life-long methamphetamine and other drug use and high school non-attendance, in a sample of high school students in Cape Town, South Africa.


METHODS
A random sample of 1535 high school students completed a baseline questionnaire in 2006, and were asked to complete a follow-up questionnaire 12 months later. The questionnaire included questions on substance use, including tobacco, alcohol, methamphetamine and cannabis use, demographic factors, and questions relating to school attendance and performance.


RESULTS
Forty-three percent of the students surveyed at baseline did not complete a follow-up questionnaire after 12 months. Compared with students who were not using selected substances, an adjusted logistic regression model showed that life-time methamphetamine use in addition to other substances was significantly associated with non-attendance (OR = 2.58, 95% CI: 1.24-5.36) when other non-substance use factors (repeating a year at school and being older than the norm for current grade) were taken into account.


CONCLUSIONS
Early identification of students with methamphetamine and other substance use problems, and a supportive rather than punitive school policy, may be valuable in improving high school completion and student retention rates.
Plüddemann
Andreas
A
Alcohol & Drug Abuse Research Unit, Medical Research Council, PO Box 19070, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa. apluddem@mrc.ac.za
Flisher
Alan J
AJ
McKetin
Rebecca
R
Parry
Charles D
CD
Lombard
Carl J
CJ
D000041:Absenteeism; D000293:Adolescent; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012574:Schools; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008694:Methamphetamine