This study assesses the effects of individual and family characteristics on psychotropic drug use among male and female adolescents. The sample included 2,396 subjects attending two middle schools and two high schools.

This study assessed the role of certain individual characteristics in school injury among male and female adolescents. The sample included 2,398 subjects attending middle schools and high schools. Respondents completed a self-administered questionnaire at the beginning of the school year. School nurse completed a questionnaire on injury for each school injury occurred during the school year. The data was analyzed with the adjusted odds ratios (ORa) computed via the logistic models. The school injury was common (13% for both sexes). Sports/physical training injury was more frequent among girls (8.8% vs. 6.6%, P < 0.05) contrarily to the other types of injury (4.6% vs. 8.8%, P = 0.001). Sports/physical training injury was strongly associated with age <15 years (ORa 3.42) and presence of previous injury (2.63) among boys, and with age <15 years (2.02), presence of previous injury (2.94), not easily irritated (1.89), and irresponsible (1.59) among girls. The other types of injury were highly related to age <15 years (ORa 4.18), frequent use of psychotropic drugs (1.76), not living with both parents (1.65), being not calm (2.03), and presence of previous injury (1.82) among boys, and to age <15 years (2.59), obesity (3.24), and being not calm (1.84) among girls. The present study identified a number of potential risk factors for school injury among male and female adolescents. Preventive measures should be taken to make adolescents, their parents and teachers more aware of the risks and to find remedial measures.

No abstract

Despite abundant literature the respective roles of psychosomatic status, personality, health perception, family environment, and sport activity in tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use have not been well known. To assess their roles, an epidemiological cross-sectional study was conducted in 3294 middle and high school adolescents, 2396 (73%) of whom agreed to participate. The standardized questionnaire was filled out by the teenagers under the supervision of the teachers. Strong associations were found between tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use. The prevalence of alcohol use and illicit drug use were respectively 7 and 10 times higher in smokers than in non-smokers. On the whole, the potential risk factors for tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use were age, psychosomatic status and psychotropic drug consumption, boring family atmosphere, not living with both father and mother, and health perception. Mother being a housewife was a protective factor. No marked role was noted for the head of family's socio-occupational category. Personality would be indicators of self-control ability. Indeed, some self-reported personalities (serious, attentive, calm, organized) had protection roles whereas some others (easily irritable, aggressive, worried, clumsy, careless, solitary, etc.) were risk factors (risk-taking or deviant behaviors). Some sports activities were found to be negatively related, but some others related positively with drug use, possibly due to repetitive meetings between the adolescents at risk. Preventive measures may be targeted at these risk factors.