Predictive Factors of Adolescents' Illicit Drug Use

Kim, Hee Young

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was attempted to illuminate danger signals through an extensive analysis of factors influencing adolescents' illicit drug use. On this basis, it built predictive factors of adolescents' illicit drug use. METHOD: A questionnaire was distributed to 1,238 subjects living in Seoul, and of them 1,082 answers were analyzed using the SAS 8.2 program. Also logistic regression analysis was conducted based on the stepwise selection method for constructing the predictive factors.
RESULTS
The findings of this study are as follows. Individual-related factors were psychosomatic symptoms, self-esteem, fortune delinquent experience, and sexual-violence delinquent experience. Home-related factors were insincerity, threatening and the assessment of the parent (rearer)-adolescent communication type. Society-related factors were affection of friends and friends' attitude toward delinquency.
CONCLUSION
These findings of this study suggest that a broad intervention program should be provided to nurture wholesome youth culture related to illicit drug use. It is also recommended that a variety of individual, home and society-related programs should be developed for drug users.