Use of stimulant drugs among high school adolescents in a Metropolitan Region: a school-based study
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: to identify the prevalence of stimulant drugs among adolescents in high school and the associated factors. METHOD: cross-sectional study with 4,614 adolescents between 14 and 19 years old. Descriptive, bivariate (chi-square test and Fisher's exact test) and multivariate (Poisson regression with robust variance) analyses were performed, adopting a significance level of p<0.05. RESULTS: the prevalence of lifetime use was 6% (95% confidence interval: 5.4-6.8), and current use was 1.6% (95% confidence interval: 1.3-2.0). Higher prevalence of stimulant drug experimentation among adolescents aged 18 to 19 years (PR: 2.24), LGBTQIA+ (PR: 1.35), black race (PR: 1.55), with work (PR: 1.68) and whose parents live separately (PR: 1.62). Adolescents who belong to the Catholic or Evangelical religion had lower frequencies of experimentation and current use (p<0.05). Current use was more frequent among those of black race (PR: 2.94), class B (PR: 2.27), and those who have a job (PR: 2.69). CONCLUSION: it is observed that experimentation and use of stimulant drugs are present among adolescents and that sociodemographic and behavioral factors are associated with this practice. Integrated strategies between the health, education, social assistance and public security sectors are necessary for the prevention and mitigation of the problem in school, family and community environments.
Language: English
Topic: Youth, Drugs, and Violence
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7223259150