Sport participation: is it linked to adolescent substance use?

Date
2010
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University of Delaware
Abstract
This study examined the relationship between participation in sports and substance use over time. Specifically, whether or not the individual participated, particular sports in which the individual participated, and team or individual sport participation were examined along with the adolescent‟s cigarette, marijuana, and alcohol use. The sample included 1036 participants in the spring of 2007. All participants attended high schools in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Adolescents provided self-report data about their participation in specific sports and their substance use behaviors. ANOVAs and ANCOVAs were run to examine the differences between means for sport participation and cigarette, marijuana, and alcohol use. Boys who participated in sports, specifically football, lacrosse, soccer, and team sports, engaged in higher levels of alcohol consumption. Girls who participated in sports had an older age of first use for alcohol and those who participated in team sports had an older age of first use for marijuana. Implications and future research directions are discussed.
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