Objective: To identify subgroups of students with distinct profiles of mental health symptoms (MH) and substance use risk (SU) and the extent to which MH history and socio-demographics predict subgroup membership. Participants: University students (N = 10,935: 63% female). Methods: Repeated cross-sectional survey administered weekly to stratified…

Even though multiple states have approved legal recreational use of cannabis, the expansion of recreational cannabis legalization has led to public health concerns in the United States. Young adults (18-25 years old) have the highest percentage of cannabis use disorder compared to all other age groups. The purpose of this study is to compare…

Objective: Among two-year college students, alcohol and marijuana use, related consequences, and risk factors for use are not well understood. We examined differences between two- and four-year students in alcohol and marijuana use, consequences, and perceived descriptive norms, and explored whether two-year status moderated associations between…

Tobacco surveillance in the United States is robust but cannot be quickly modified to capture newly identified tobacco products or behaviors. We present an example of a rapidly deployed nonprobability survey using social media recruitment that collected data on rapidly changing tobacco use behaviors. We recruited 15- to 17-year old current vapers…

The study's aim was to determine the association between school-based violence and being under the influence of drugs/alcohol during the last sexual intercourse among US high-school adolescents. A total of 3136 students from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior survey were included. Multivariate logistic regression models were conducted to examine…

Reservation-dwelling American Indian adolescents are at exceedingly high risk for cannabis use. Prevention initiatives to delay the onset and escalation of use are needed. The risk and promotive factors approach to substance use prevention is a well-established framework for identifying the timing and targets for prevention initiatives. This study…

Background: While observational studies have established a connection between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and heightened risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), the causal relationships are not well-defined. This study is designed to examine the causality between ASD, ADHD, and CVD risk as well…

This study experimentally tested risk behavior outcomes of "Connecting," a low-cost, self-directed, family-based prevention program for families with youth placed in their care by state child welfare agencies. Families caring for youth aged 11 to 15 years from across Washington State were recruited and randomly assigned to either the…

Objective: Assess the prevalence, perceptions, sociodemographic/personal factors that influence Juul use among incoming freshmen. Participants: Incoming undergraduate students (N = 1,706) attending a public university in the southeastern U.S. Methods: Cross-sectional survey administered August 2018. Bivariate relationships assessed using…

Cannabis legalization has rapidly spread throughout the United States and is associated with multiple public health outcomes, including driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC). To improve understanding of the relationship between legalization and DUIC, we tested two potential mediators of this relationship: perceived safety and perceived…

Objective: This study examined the independent and joint effects of ADHD status, distress tolerance, and delay of gratification on the propensity to engage in health risk behaviors (drug use, alcohol use, disordered eating). Participants/Methods Participants: included 115 female college students (41.7% with ADHD) who completed online…

Background: Knowledge of specific health-related events encountered by students studying abroad and the availability and use of pre-travel healthcare for these students is lacking. Methods: Anonymous web-based questionnaires were sent to study abroad offices, student health centers, and undergraduate students after studying abroad at eight…

Illegal drug use is a major global problem that has increased significantly over the last decade. Since it is often initiated in adolescence, government programs have targeted this demographic to reduce drug use. To analyze the reach of such campaigns, the study presents a hybrid manual and automated content analysis approach to identify campus…

High-risk sexual behaviors (HRSBs; e.g., having sex without protection against pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections) are a public health problem. HRSBs disproportionally impact college students and are associated with numerous negative outcomes, such as unwanted pregnancies. Alcohol use has been strongly linked to HRSBs in college…

Alaska's alternative high schools use trauma-engaged practices in their education model. Thirteen focus groups with 100 alternative high school educators, staff and administrators were conducted. The study sought to describe the Alaska alternative high school staffs' perspectives on effective practices and impact of alternative education on drug…