INTRODUCTION: Adolescence is a period known for risk taking behaviors. Both weapon carrying and suicidality among U.S. youth are growing public health concerns. The goal of this study is to examine the patterns between weapon carrying and suicidality among U.S. high school students using 2015 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). METHODS: Analyses were performed using data from the 2015 YRBS (N=15,624). The sample consisted of students in grades 9-12 (48.7% female and 51.3% as male) Of those surveyed, 54.5% identified as White, 13.6% as African American, 22.3% as Hispanic, and 9.7% as another race/ethnicity. The main exposure variable weapon carrying (carried a weapon in the past 30 days) was analyzed against three outcome variables: suicide ideation (seriously considered suicide in the past 12 months), suicide planning (made a plan to commit suicide in the past 12 months), and suicide attempt (attempted suicide at least once in the past 12 months). Bivariate analysis was used to determine prevalence across the exposure and outcome variables, as well as determine potential covariates. Multivariate logistic regression tables were built to examine the relationship between weapon carrying and the three suicide outcomes, controlling for sex, race/ethnicity, interpersonal violence exposures, alcohol use, drug use, and sad/hopeless feelings. Additionally, adjusted odds ratios were calculated after stratifying by sex. RESULTS: Among 15,624 high school students, 16.2% reported carrying a weapon (knife, club, gun or other) in the past 30 days. Additionally, 5.3% of students reported having carried a gun in the past 30 days, the large majority of which identified as male (85.4%). It was found that 17.7% of the students reported having seriously considered suicide, 14.6% reported having made a plan to commit suicide, and 8.6% had actually attempted suicide; the majority of those who reported suicidality were female. The multivariate logistic regression model found that students who reported weapon carrying were 1.6 times more likely to report serious consideration of suicide than those students who did not report weapon carrying (OR adj =1.61, 95% CI [1.16, 2.24]), 1.77 times more likely to report having made a plan to commit suicide than those students who did not report weapon carrying (OR adj= 1.77, 95% CI [1.23, 2.55]); and 1.5 times more likely to have reported a suicide attempt than those students who did not report weapon carrying (OR adj=1.51, 95% CI [1.08, 2.10]). After stratification, females who carried weapons were 1.8 times as likely to report suicide ideation (OR adj=1.80, 95% CI [1.37, 2.67]), 2.3 times as likely to report suicide planning (OR adj=2.28, 95% CI [1.40,3.73]), and 2.7 times as likely to report suicide attempt (OR adj=2.71, 95% CI [1.52, 3.41]) than those who did not carry weapons. Males who carried weapons were 1.6 times as likely to report suicide ideation than those who did not carry weapons (OR adj=1.55, 95% CI [1.11, 2.18]), and there was not a statistically significant difference between males who carried weapons and those who did not in the suicide planning or attempt models. DISCUSSION: Given the correlation found between weapon carrying and suicidality, future youth suicide prevention programs should consider weapon carrying to be an important factor for youth suicidality and should target adolescents at high risk for weapon carrying. Furthermore, as 5.3% of students reported having carried a gun in the past 30 days, weapon carrying prevention should pay special attention to youth’s access to firearms. Firearms are the most lethal mode of suicide and considering the high prevalence of students already at risk for suicidality, measures should be taken to reduce youth access to firearms.

Purpose: Substance use and weapon carrying among adolescents is a growing concern. The objective of this study is to investigate the association between adolescent substance use and weapon carrying using the 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). Methods: Analyses were conducted using the 2013 YRBS, a nationally representative dataset sampling public and private high school students throughout the United States (US). Data from a total of 148,282 US adolescents were used in the present study. Results: Two outcomes were assessed: weapon carrying within the past 30 days and weapon carrying on school property within the past 30 days. Among adolescents who carried a weapon, 77.3% were male, 62.7% were white, 28.5%% were in 9th grade, 33.8% used a tobacco product and 57.4% drank alcohol within the past 30 days, while 22.8% used a Schedule 1 drug and 14.0% used a Schedule 2 drug during their lifetime. Among adolescents who carried a weapon on school property, 74.4% were male, 55.1% were white, 26.5% were in 11th grade, 40.1% used a tobacco product and 61.9% drank alcohol within the past 30 days, while 32.1% used a Schedule 1 drug and 26.9% used a Schedule 2 drug during their lifetime. For the multivariable model predicting adolescent weapon carrying, tobacco use (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.31, 95% CI: 2.06, 2.59), alcohol use (AOR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.81, 2.29), and Schedule 2 drug use (AOR = 2.27, 95% CI: 1.83, 2.80) were significantly associated with increased risk of carrying a weapon, adjusting for all covariates in the model simultaneously. For the multivariable model predicting adolescent weapon carrying on school property, tobacco use (AOR = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.89, 2.86), alcohol use (AOR = 2.53, 95% CI: 2.02, 3.18), and Schedule 2 drug use (AOR = 2.58, 95% CI: 1.94, 3.43) were significantly associated with increased risk of carrying a weapon on school property, adjusting for all covariates in the model. Raw counts and weighted frequencies are reported. Conclusions: Statistically significant associations between adolescent substance use and weapon carrying were found, suggesting that adolescent substance use is associated with increased weapon carrying behavior, both off and on school property. Future weapon carrying prevention efforts should target not only adolescents who are high risk for weapon carrying, but also those who are at risk for misusing substances.

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Objetivo: Determinar la asociación entre el consumo de drogas legales e ilegales y la portación de armas en adolescentes peruanos. Materiales y métodos: Análisis secundario del estudio Young Lives, en el cual se utilizó la cohorte menor de la quinta ronda para Perú, donde se incluyeron un total de 1782 participantes. La variable resultado fue evaluada con la pregunta “Durante los últimos 30 días, ¿Cuántos días llevaste un arma, como por ejemplo un cuchillo, para tu propia protección?”, la cual se dicotomizó en sí (por lo menos un día) y no (nunca). Las variables independientes se evaluaron con preguntas estandarizadas. Se empleó regresión de Poisson considerando conglomerados para calcular razones de prevalencia (RP) con IC95%. Resultados: La prevalencia en portación de armas en esta población fue de 5,21%. El consumo de tabaco tuvo una prevalencia de 18,51%, mientras que el consumo de alcohol registró una prevalencia de 33,52%. Se determinó que el consumo de inhalantes (4,79%), marihuana (4,07%) y cocaína (1,34%) fueron las drogas ilegales con mayores prevalencias. Se encontró asociación significativa entre el consumo de drogas legales e ilegales y la portación de armas en adolescentes peruanos con un p<0,001. Conclusiones: La portación de armas se encuentra asociada al uso de diferentes drogas legales e ilegales. Sugerimos estudios longitudinales que puedan responder a nuestra pregunta de investigación, asimismo estos deberían considerar otras variables como el acceso al mercado ilegal de armas, antecedentes de enfermedades psiquiátricas, incluyendo depresión y ansiedad, entre otros. / Objective: To determine the association between legal and illegal drugs consumption and weapon carrying in Peruvian adolescents. Materials and methods: Secondary analysis of the Young Lives study, in which round five from the younger cohort for Peru was used, 1782 participants were included. The outcome was measured with the question “During the last 30 days, on how many days did you carry a weapon such as a knife, to be able to protect yourself?”. The independent variables were assessed with standardized questions. Poisson regression using clusters was used to calculate Prevalence Ratios (PR) with 95% CI. Results: The prevalence of weapon carrying was 5.21%. Tobacco consumption had a prevalence of 18.51%, while alcohol consumption prevalence was 33.52%. Inhalant (4.79%), marijuana (4.07%) and cocaine use (1.34%) were determined to be the illegal drugs with the highest prevalence. A significant association was found between legal and illegal drugs consumption and weapon carrying in Peruvian adolescents with a p<0.001. Conclusions: Weapon carrying is associated with the use of different legal and illegal drugs. We suggest longitudinal designs that can answer our research question. Also, they should consider other variables such as access to the illegal arms market, a history of psychiatric disorders, including depression and anxiety, among others. / Tesis