Using decision trees to examine risk profiles for cannabis use among large samples of underage youth before and after cannabis legalization in Canada

IF 3.3 Q1 Psychology

Addictive Behaviors Reports Pub Date : 2025-12-01 Epub Date: 2025-10-10 DOI:10.1016/j.abrep.2025.100632

Scott T. Leatherdale , Katelyn Battista , Karen A Patte , James MacKillop , Richard Bélanger

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

This paper compares risk profiles for cannabis use among large samples of youth in the school years preceding (2017–18, T₁) and four years following (2021–22, T₂) cannabis legalization in Canada.

Methods

COMPASS Study data from students across 85 secondary schools that participated in both the T₁ and T₂ waves were used. A novel classification tree approach examined current cannabis use (past 30-day), modelling complex interactions among multiple risk factors simultaneously in the T₁ and T₂ samples.

Results

At T₁, 15.0 % of students reported current cannabis use, compared to 12.3 % of students at T₂. The classification tree at T₁ identified six unique risk profiles. The highest risk group (Pr = 0.269) was large (30.4 % of the sample) and comprised students who placed lower value on getting good grades and spent 45 min or more per day texting. The classification tree at T₂ identified 11 unique risk profiles. The highest risk group (Pr = 0.27) was large (18.8 % of the sample) and comprised students who again placed lower value on getting good grades but also reported not eating breakfast daily and having elevated anxiety.

Discussion

Cannabis never use increased and current cannabis use slightly decreased among underage youth in a 4-year period spanning cannabis legalization. The relative importance ranking of risk factors for predicting current cannabis use changed considerably from T₁ to T₂. This suggests that prevention efforts need to adapt over time to target the relevant risk factors associated with cannabis use.

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使用决策树检查在加拿大大麻合法化前后大量未成年青少年样本中使用大麻的风险概况

本文比较了加拿大大麻合法化前（2017-18年，T1）和大麻合法化后四年（2021-22年，T2）大量青年样本中大麻使用的风险概况。方法使用来自85所中学参与T1和T2波的学生的compass研究数据。一种新的分类树方法检查了当前的大麻使用情况（过去30天），模拟了T1和T2样本中同时存在的多种风险因素之间的复杂相互作用。结果在T1阶段，15.0%的学生报告目前使用大麻，而在T2阶段，这一比例为12.3%。T1的分类树确定了六个独特的风险概况。风险最高的群体（Pr = 0.269）很大（占样本的30.4%），包括那些不太看重取得好成绩、每天花45分钟或更多时间发短信的学生。T2的分类树确定了11个独特的风险概况。最高风险组（Pr = 0.27）很大（占样本的18.8%），包括那些同样不太看重取得好成绩，但也报告不每天吃早餐和焦虑程度较高的学生。在大麻合法化的4年期间，未成年青少年中从未使用大麻的人数增加，目前使用大麻的人数略有下降。预测当前大麻使用的危险因素的相对重要性排名从T1到T2有很大变化。这表明，预防工作需要随着时间的推移进行调整，以针对与大麻使用有关的相关风险因素。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Addictive Behaviors Reports Medicine-Psychiatry and Mental Health

CiteScore

6.80

自引率

0.00%

发文量

审稿时长

71 days

期刊介绍： Addictive Behaviors Reports is an open-access and peer reviewed online-only journal offering an interdisciplinary forum for the publication of research in addictive behaviors. The journal accepts submissions that are scientifically sound on all forms of addictive behavior (alcohol, drugs, gambling, Internet, nicotine and technology) with a primary focus on behavioral and psychosocial research. The emphasis of the journal is primarily empirical. That is, sound experimental design combined with valid, reliable assessment and evaluation procedures are a requisite for acceptance. We are particularly interested in ''non-traditional'', innovative and empirically oriented research such as negative/null data papers, replication studies, case reports on novel treatments, and cross-cultural research. Studies that might encourage new lines of inquiry as well as scholarly commentaries on topical issues, systematic reviews, and mini reviews are also very much encouraged. We also welcome multimedia submissions that incorporate video or audio components to better display methodology or findings.