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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Hee-Soon Juon, PhD¹, Margaret E. Ensminger, PhD¹, and Kerry Green². (1) Health, Behavior & Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, 712, Baltimore, MD 21205, 410-614-5410, hjuon@jhsph.edu, (2) Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205

Trajectories of marijuana use over a 25-year period were examined in a cohort of African Americans followed from first grade to young adulthood (age 32). A semi-parametric group-based approach (Nagin 1999) revealed multiple trajectories from age of first use to age of last use of marijuana, with significant heterogeneity and gender differences. For males (n=455), three unique trajectories of use were identified: “nevers,” men who never used marijuana in their lifetime (52.6%); “adolescent limited users,” men who began using marijuana during adolescence but by age 20 desisted use (23.5%); and “persistent users,” who started use in early adolescence and continued throughout young adulthood (23.9%). For females (n=495), a four-trajectory model best fit the data: “nevers,” about 66% of the women; “early decliners,” women whose early use sharply declined by age 18 (10.1%); “late decliners,” women whose use declined by age 25 (9.1%); and “persistent users” (15.1%). Cohort members with chronic lifetime patterns of marijuana use reported more health, social, and psychological consequences than non-users or those who desisted from use. Both males and females in persistent use trajectories were more likely to have alcohol and drug problems in adulthood. Also, at age 42 they reported less education and lower income. Females reported more anxiety and suicidal thought at age 42 and less frequent church attendance. For males, those never married and having fewer children at age 42 were more likely to be in the persistent user trajectory.

Learning Objectives:

• Clearly identify marijuana use trajectores of African Americans
• Examine the consequences of marijuana trajectories by gender

Keywords: African American, Marijuana

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered