Correlates of cannabis use among high school students in Shamva District, Zimbabwe: A descriptive crosssectional study

Abstract

Background: We set out to determine the predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors that influence cannabis use in young people aged 13 to 19 years in Shamva District, Zimbabwe.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study focusing on the correlates of cannabis use was conducted among 311 school-going adolescents who were selected using multistage sampling.

Results: Eight percent of the students in our sample reported current use of cannabis. Associations were found between cannabis use and alcohol consumption (P < 0.001), cigarette smoking (P < 0.001), and having had engaged in sexual intercourse (P < 0.001). Significant relationships were found between recreational use of cannabis and having family members, friends, and parents who have used cannabis (P < 0.001).

Conclusions: Students who reported using alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and having had engaged in sexual activity were more likely to use cannabis. There is need for identification of these risky behaviours among students, and ecological frameworks and holistic approaches in health promotion programming should be fostered in an effort to increase awareness of the potential harmful effects of cannabis use on adolescents’ health and life outcomes.