Social factors and substance use among Norwegian adolescents

Abstract

Main aims of the current study were to investigate associations between antisocial behavior, significant others substance use, leisure activities, gender, and school level on the one hand, and adolescent substance use on the other hand. Ungdata obtained the data through a cross- sectional questionnaire given to 740 high school students, and 548 secondary school students (N=1288 ) from rural municipals in Norway. The response rate was 63%. Friends’ and parents’ substance use, total antisocial behavior, normbreaking and school level, were found to be significant predictors of adolescent substance use. Additionally, attendance in structured leisure activities seemed to be a protective factor in relation to substance use. However, unstructured activities/hobbies seemed not to be related to substance use. These results will be discussed in relation to research carried out previously.