Role of parental involvement in the relationship between perceived availability and use of marijuana among youths aged 12 to 17 years of age in the United States

According to National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), the rate of current marijuana use among youths aged 12-17 was 6.8% in 2005. Over half (51%) of youths aged 12-17 reported in 2005 that it would be “fairly easy” or “very easy” for them to obtain marijuana if they wanted some. There is positive association between perceived availability and use of marijuana. The youths aged 12-17 who perceived marijuana is fairly or very easy to get they are more likely to use marijuana compared to those who perceived marijuana is difficult to get. A majority of youths 90.2% reported that their parents would strongly disapprove of their trying marijuana. This research examines the role of parental involvement in the relationship between perceived availability and use of marijuana. This study uses data from NSDUH collected in 2005. In NSDUH-2005 survey, youths aged 12-17 were also asked a number of questions related to the extent of support, oversight, and control that they perceived their parents exercised over them in the year prior to the survey. Multivariate Logistic regression models were used to assess the role of parental involvement in the relationship between perceived availability and the use of marijuana. Results show that past month use of marijuana is lower among youths aged 12-17 who reported that their parents always or sometimes engaged in monitoring behaviors than among youths whose parents “seldom” or “never” engaged in such behaviors in the presence of perceived availability of marijuana.