Factors associated with volatile solvent use among junior high school students in Kanto, Japan.

Abstract

To estimate the relative association between life-time volatile solvent use and risk factors for usage. Cross-sectional anonymous questionnaire survey. Junior high schools in Kanto, Japan. Junior high school students (n = 7744). Data on life-time and past-year solvent use, demographic variables, urbanization, regularity of waking patterns, school life, family life, peer relationships, prior alcohol and cigarette use and knowledge on harmful effects of solvent use. Uni- and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate crude and adjusted odds ratios for each index. The primary findings were (1) 'smoking cigarettes nearly every day' (adjusted OR = 9.88, 95% Cl = 3.74, 26.12) and peer pressure measured by 'been tempted to use solvents' (adjusted OR = 9.53, 95% Cl = 4.84, 18.74) demonstrated the highest adjusted odds ratios; (2) being male (adjusted OR = 2.56, 95% Cl = 1.37, 4.76), seeing school life as 'not at all enjoyable' (adjusted OR = 2.69, 95% Cl = 1.03, 7.01) and family environment as 'neither good nor bad' (adjusted OR = 2.15, 95% Cl = 1.19, 3.88) also showed significant association; (3) life-time alcohol use did not show a significant association in the multivariate model (adjusted OR = 0.80, 95% Cl = 0.30, 2.12); and (4) solvent use appeared independent of knowledge regarding its effects ('death by acute intoxication', 'psychotic symptoms', 'amotivational syndrome', 'flashbacks' adjusted ORs all non-significant). Alcohol use may not function as a gateway to solvent use in Japan. The reasons may be culture-bound. A longitudinal study is required to test this hypothesis.