Marijuana Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Marijuana, including details on benefits, cancer, effects, uses, addiction. | ||||||||
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Substance use risk behaviors and decision-making skills among cancer-surviving adolescents.Hollen PJ, Hobbie WL, Donnangelo SF, Shannon S, Erickson J University of Virginia School of Nursing, Charlottesville, USA. p.hollen@virginia.edu The aims of this study were to compare decision making and substance use risk behaviors of a cohort of cancer-surviving adolescents to those of 2 earlier cohorts as well as adolescents in the US general population and to determine the relationship of decision making to substance use risk behaviors. This correlational study used a semistructured interview at the time of the annual clinic visit to obtain data. Teen cancer survivors (N = 76), ages 14-19 years, were recruited from 5 clinics within the United States. Adherence to quality decision-making skills reported by different cancer-surviving adolescent cohorts appears to remain the same over time. However, reported substance use risk behaviors by these teen survivor cohorts have decreased over time. The prevalence rates for lifetime use for the 2004 cohort of teen cancer survivors were 25%, 49%, and 16%, for cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana use, respectively. These rates are somewhat lower than those in the US general population; yet, they are high given the health vulnerability of cancer-surviving adolescents. Poor-quality decision making was significantly associated with higher levels of substance use risk behaviors for these teen cancer survivors. In conjunction with the statistics related to higher health risks in this vulnerable group of teens, these findings support continued efforts in developing interventions for risk behavior counseling. Published 10 September 2007 in J Pediatr Oncol Nurs, 24(5): 264-73.
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