Nadia K Bisch, Taís de C Moreira, Mariana C Benchaya, Dan R Pozza, Larissa C N de Freitas, Michelle S Farias, Maristela Ferigolo, Helena M T Barros
Abstract
To describe the users' drug abuse characteristics, problematic behaviors associated with addiction, the motivation of teenagers and young adults to quit cocaine and/or crack abuse, and then compare these characteristics.
A cross-section study was conducted with 2390 cocaine/crack users (teenagers from 14 to 19 years of age, and young adults from 20 to 24 years of age); 1471 were young adults and 919 were teenagers who had called a phone counseling service between January 2006 and December 2013. Semi-structured interviews were performed via phone calls. The questionnaires included sociodemographic information; assessment of the characteristics of cocaine/crack abuse; assessment of the problematic behaviors; also, the Contemplation Ladder was used to evaluate the stages of readiness to cease substance abuse.
Participants reported using cocaine (48.2%), crack and other smoking forms (36.7%) and combined consumption of both drugs (15%). Young adults were more prone to using crack or crack associated with cocaine (OR=1.9; CI 95%=1.05-1.57) and they were exposed to substance abuse for longer than two years (OR=3.45; CI 95%=2.84-4.18), when compared to teenagers. On the other hand, they showed higher readiness to quit.
Data shows important differences in drug abuse characteristics, problematic behaviors and motivation to cease substance abuse between teenager and young adult cocaine and/or crack users. Behaviors displayed by young adults involve greater physical, mental and social health damages. These findings reinforce the importance of public policy to act on prevention and promoting health, to increase protection factors among teenagers and lower risks and losses during adult life.
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science
2
3%
Economics, Econometrics and Finance
2
3%
Other
6
10%
Unknown
33
56%
Attention Score in Context
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 2. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 08 May 2018.
All research outputs
#15,846,769
of 26,367,306 outputs
Outputs from Jornal de Pediatria
#397
of 914 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#190,285
of 353,163 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Jornal de Pediatria
#4
of 11 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 26,367,306 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 38th percentile – i.e., 38% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 914 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 5.7. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 54% of its peers.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 11 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 63% of its contemporaries.
