Loading
Life sciences · Journal article
Addictive Behaviors Reports · August 26, 2026
Encouraging direction, but not yet definitive.
This cross-sectional study of 6,734 Nevada middle school students (grades 6–8) found that girls reported approximately twice the prevalence of past 30-day substance use across four substances compared to boys, with depressive symptoms, household substance abuse, emotional abuse, and household mental illness statistically accounting for 44.9–64.0%, 31.0–44.7%, 28.4–43.6%, and 26.9–41.5% of these disparities, respectively. The decomposition analysis suggests these psychosocial and trauma-related factors may partially explain observed sex differences, but the cross-sectional design cannot establish causation.
Cross-sectional survey analysis with decomposition modeling. Early adolescent students in grades 6–8 attending Nevada middle schools who participated in the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Intervention: None; observational analysis of reported substance use and risk factors. Compared with: Girls versus boys; substances compared are EVP, alcohol, marijuana, and non-medical prescription pain medicine. n = 6,734. Nevada.
Electronic vapor products (EVP) use higher in girls: aPR 2.05 (95% CI 1.62–2.61) Alcohol use higher in girls: aPR 1.76 (95% CI 1.39–2.21) Marijuana use higher in girls: aPR 1.93 (95% CI 1.43–2.59)
Safety was not reported in the material analysed. Check the source before drawing any conclusion about harm.
These findings suggest that interventions targeting substance use disparities in early adolescent girls should prioritize trauma-informed, sex-specific approaches addressing depression, adverse childhood experiences, and bullying. The data support integration of mental health and coping skills training into substance use prevention programs for this population.
A rigorous cross-sectional analysis with adequate sample size and adjusted estimates showing substantially higher substance use in girls, with decomposition analysis identifying specific mediating factors; however, cross-sectional design precludes causal inference and relies on self-reported outcomes.
As stated by the source record.
Quoted from the source exactly as published.
These findings suggest that interventions targeting substance use disparities in early adolescent girls should prioritize trauma-informed, sex-specific approaches addressing depression, adverse childhood experiences, and bullying. The data support integration of mental health and coping skills training into substance use prevention programs for this population.
Graded across the dimensions that decide whether you should act, each from what the source actually supports. There is no single score, and where a dimension was not assessed it says so.
Historically, U.S. adolescent boys have reported higher substance use than girls, but this has changed in recent years with girls reporting more use. The reasons for this demographic shift are unclear, but girls may be more likely to turn to substance use as a way to cope with stress and internalizing problems. We used cross-sectional data from the 2023 Nevada Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) (grades 6-8;n = 6734). We estimated the adjusted prevalence ratios of girls versus boys past 30-day substance use (electronic vapor products (EVP), alcohol, marijuana, and non-medical prescription pain medicine (NMPPM)) and intervention-relevant factors (adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), bullying victimization, and depressive symptoms). To estimate how much of the potential substance use sex disparities were statistically accounted for by differences in the prevalence of risk factors, we conducted decomposition analyses. Substance use was higher for girls versus boys: EVP (aPR:2.05, 95%CI:1.62,2.61), alcohol (aPR:1.76, 95%CI:1.39,2.21), marijuana (aPR:1.93, 95%CI:1.43,2.59), and NMPPM (aPR:1.91, 95%CI:1.44,2.54). Girls also reported higher prevalence of intervention-relevant factors. The factors that made the largest contributions to statistically accounting for the substance use sex disparities were depressive symptoms (range:44.9-64.0%), household substance abuse (range:31.0-44.7%), emotional abuse (range:28.4-43.6%), and household mental illness (range:26.9-41.5%). Recent substance use was approximately twice as high among girls compared to boys. These sex disparities may be statistically accounted for by the higher prevalence of ACEs, electronic bullying, and depressive symptoms among girls. There is a need for sex-specific substance use prevention that is trauma-informed and includes healthy coping strategies.
Taken from the source record, never inferred. Follow any of these and new work involving them reaches your briefing.