A longitudinal analysis of some risk and protective factors in marijuana use by adolescents receiving child welfare services

The present study sought to identify risk and protective factors in marijuana use by adolescents involved in child welfare services. Longitudinal records of 1797 adolescents were extracted from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being data set. The obtained multivariate results from generalized estimating equations showed that an adolescent's likelihood of being a current marijuana user rose with prior lifetime use of the drug and was also associated with out-of-home child welfare services, perceived parental monitoring, perceived closeness to parent, engagement with school environment, and age. Implications for child welfare services are discussed.

Research highlights
► Secondary data analysis of a national longitudinal child welfare data set.
► Adolescent's likelihood of current marijuana use increased with prior lifetime use.
► The likelihood was associated with parental monitoring and closeness to parent.
► The likelihood was associated with out-of-home services and school engagement.