Factors associated with alcohol and substance use in adolescents aged 12–15: A rapid review

Adolescents can often adopt behaviors that put them at risk and compromise their health. Among these behaviors, the most prominent is the use of psychoactive/addictive substances (alcohol, tobacco, and other illicit drugs). In recent years, there has been an increasing utilization trend of these substances in adolescents and within the peer group. The objective of this paper is to identify the factors associated with alcohol and substance consumption in adolescents aged 1215. We followed the Cochrane recommendations for this rapid review. We used the CINAHL database through EBSCO to search for articles. Covidence software was used to screen the title and abstract, as well as the full text. Data extraction was carried out according to a table created by two reviewers. Quality and risk of bias were assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute tool. Ten articles published between 2020 and 2024 and originating in the United States and Canada were included in the study. The studies included adolescents aged 1119, encompassing the 1215 age group targeted in our study, and examined substances such as alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine, prescription drugs, and over-the-counter drugs. There are several contextual, relational, and personal factors that are positively and negatively associated with substance use in adolescents, and these are considered risk factors and protective factors, respectively. The findings of this rapid literature review contribute to the formulation of health policies and substance use prevention programs at global, European, national, and community levels.