Substance misuse and sexual function in adolescents with chronic diseases

Abstract

Objective:To evaluate alcohol/tobacco and/or illicit drug misuse in Chronic Diseases (CDs).Methods:A cross-sectional study with 220 CDs adolescents and 110 healthy controls including: demographic/anthropometric data; puberty markers; modified questionnaire evaluating sexual function, alcohol/smoking/illicit drug misuse and bullying; and the physician-conducted CRAFFT (car/relax/alone/forget/friends/trouble) screen tool for substance abuse/dependence high risk.Results:The frequencies of alcohol/tobacco and/or illicit drug use were similar in both groups (30% vs. 34%, p=0.529), likewise the frequencies of bullying (42% vs. 41%, p=0.905). Further analysis solely in CDs patients that used alcohol/tobacco/illicit drug versus those that did not use showed that the median current age [15 (11–18) vs. 14 (10–18) years, p <0.0001] and education years [9 (5–14) vs. 8 (3–12) years, p <0.0001] were significant higher in substance use group. The frequencies of Tanner 5 (p <0.0001), menarche (p <0.0001) and spermarche (p=0.001) were also significantly higher in patients with CDs that used alcohol/tobacco/illicit, likewise sexual activity (23% vs. 3%, p <0.0001). A trend of a low frequency of drug therapy was observed in patients that used substances (70% vs. 82%, p=0.051). A positive correlation was observed between CRAFFT score and current age in CD patients (p=0.005, r=+0.189) and controls (p=0.018, r=+0.226).Conclusions:A later age was evidenced in CDs patients that reported licit/ilicit drug misuse. In CDs adolescent, substance use was more likely to have sexual intercourse. Our study reinforces that these patients should be systematically screened by pediatricians for drug related health behavioral patterns.

Substance Use in Adolescents and Young Adults With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

“…Research examining trajectories of substance use during adolescence and young adulthood suggests that substance use during this developmental period may be a significant risk factor for problematic tobacco, marijuana, and alcohol use in adulthood (2). Youth with chronic conditions report similar or greater rates of substance use compared to healthy peers (3), and they may experience more adverse health outcomes from these behaviors, while reporting fewer protective factors than healthy peers (4,5). This is especially problematic for youth with lifelong chronic conditions where substance use is contraindicated, including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).…”

Complexity of Pediatric Chronic Disease: Cross-Sectional Study With 16,237 Patients Followed by Multiple Medical Specialties

“…This fact is due to the advancements in medical diagnosis, with new technologies and specific treatments for different illnesses and comorbidities. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] Of note, child and adolescent populations with chronic health disabilities requiring highly complex medical care have been increasingly followed-up in tertiary centers. A French study with individuals younger than 14 years old showed that 3.3% of patients had long-term conditions, and 1.4% had complex chronic diseases.…”