Drug use and illnesses among eighth grade students in rural schools

We examined the relationship between drug use by young adolescents and two indicators of illness, frequency of illness and numbers of days absent from school owing to illness. Data were from a general health survey of all eighth grade students enrolled in public schools in two rural Maryland counties. A total of 745 students completed a self-administered questionnaire during school hours in January 1984. Information was obtained on a variety of sociodemographic characteristics and on the students' use of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana. Correlational analyses were used to examine the relationships among cigarette smoking, beer or wine drinking, whiskey or hard liquor drinking, and marijuana use. Logistic regression was used to model the effects of drug use behaviors on the likelihood of being absent from school 3 or more days, adjusting for the student's age, sex, race, parents' education, illness frequency, and concerns about learning problems in school. We found substantial covariation among the use of cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana. After adjusting for the background variables of illness, frequency, and learning problems, we found that students who are frequent cigarette smokers experienced a 2.6 risk of school absenteeism. Other drug use behaviors were not associated significantly with increased risk of missing school. Findings are discussed within the context of health-related consequences of drug use.