The Impact of Initial Age of Methamphetamine Use on Social Integration
Abstract
Background: Prevalence of methamphetamine use is rising in North America. Peers and social relationships are known to influence substance use patterns, but fewer studies have examined the role of early initiation on later social integration. We aimed to understand the relationship between age of first use and social integration.
Methods: Bivariate analyses were performed to assess the relationship between age of first use and social integration before performing a sex-based analysis. Multivariable linear regressions were used to help to understand this relationship.
Results: There was no significant association between age of first use and social integration scores for the sample. Sex, age of first use, and the interaction between the two were not significantly associated with social integration scores.
Conclusions: Researchers and those working with current or past methamphetamine users should perform larger population-based studies to better address the gap in the literature between social integration and age of first methamphetamine use.