Prevalence and potential etiology of youth substance use in Costa Rica: Findings from the Third National Youth Survey

Substance use is an enduring and significant public health problem among Costa Rican youth. However, scant research has been done to understand the causes of youth substance use in the Costa Rican context. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted secondary analyses of the most recent (i.e., 2018) national-level youth data to explore the prevalence and potential etiologic factors related to substance use among Costa Ricans' aged 15-24. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to assess the association between potential sociodemographic and contextual factors and lifetime alcohol, cigarette, marijuana, and other illegal drug use. Findings showed that the most frequently used substance was alcohol, followed by cigarettes, marijuana, and other illegal drugs. Sex, age, geographical regions, educational levels, nativity, community involvement, sexual victimization, discrimination, and recreational internet use were etiologic factors related to use. Implications for further research and prevention efforts within Costa Rica are discussed.