Citation
Beals-Erickson, S.; Groenewald, C.; Noel, M.; Law, E.; & Palermo, T. (2016). Is adolescent chronic pain linked to marijuana use over time? Findings from a prospective, nationally-representative sample (132). 35th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain Society. Austin, TX: The Journal of Pain.Abstract
Illicit drug use (including marijuana) is documented among adults with chronic pain, but little is known about marijuana use in adolescents with chronic pain. Because illicit drug use often begins in adolescence this is an important developmental period to study these relationships. Using a prospective, nationally-representative database (National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health), this secondary data analysis aimed to 1) compare the frequency of marijuana use among adolescents with and without chronic pain, and 2) examine chronic pain in adolescence as a predictor for current (adolescent) and future (adult) marijuana use. Participants included 15,701 individuals (49% female) assessed in adolescence (Mage=16 years) and adulthood (Mage=29 years). Chronic pain in adolescence was defined as “daily/almost daily” pain in the past year. Marijuana use was defined as using marijuana at least once in the past month. Adolescents with chronic pain had higher rates of marijuana use than those without pain (18.1% vs. 10.1%, χ2(1)=130.7, p<.001), but when adjusting for demographics (African American race OR=2.0, CI=1.4-2.9), adolescent depression (OR=1.0, CI=1.02-1.04), and other adolescent substance use (smoking cigarettes OR=3.9, CI=3.2-4.8; binge drinking OR=3.7, CI=2.9-4.7), this relationship was no longer significant. During adulthood, individuals with and without chronic pain in adolescence had similar rates of marijuana use (17.8% vs. 17.1%; χ2=ns), and when adjusting for other variables, adolescent chronic pain did not predict adult marijuana use. However, African American race (OR=1.4, CI=1.1-1.8), depression (OR=1.4, CI=1.1-1.8), smoking cigarettes (OR=3.5, CI=2.9-4.1), and binge drinking (OR=1.9, CI=1.5-2.3) also predicted adult marijuana use. Results suggest that adolescents with chronic pain may use marijuana at higher rates, but chronic pain does not confer separate risk for marijuana use concurrently in adolescence or subsequently in adulthood. Future studies on illicit drug use in adolescents with chronic pain are needed to understand how substance use impacts clinical care.URL
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1526590016000651Keyword(s)
Marijuana Drug use painReference Type
Conference proceedingBook Title
35th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain SocietyAuthor(s)
Beals-Erickson, S.Groenewald, C.
Noel, M.
Law, E.
Palermo, T.