Perceived risk of harm and school commitment as protective factors of cannabis use in a school-based survey of adolescents

Cannabis is one of the most used substances by adolescents in the United States and is associated with adverse effects. In general, previous research has focused on risk rather than protective factors for adolescent cannabis use. A focus on protective factors can lead to improving strengths-based prevention programs. For the current study, we reviewed the literature and selected a set of protective factors that have relevance for preventing cannabis use in adolescents. We tested these factors with a large sample of adolescents within a single analytic model that allowed for making comparisons among protective factors as well as replicating findings from prior research. Adolescent data came from a large school-based survey study of students (n = 32,626) in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 conducted in the state of Utah. Logistic regression analysis indicated that adolescents reporting higher endorsement of perceived risk of harm for using cannabis, school commitment, and family management had significantly greater odds of being in the non-using cannabis group for the past 30-days compared to youth with lower endorsement of these factors. In contrast, prosocial involvement and school opportunities were not associated with past 30-day cannabis use in the analytical model. Implications for the perceived risk of harm, school commitment, and family management in relation to strengths-based preventive strategies are discussed.