BACKGROUND:

Leisure can be a context that can promote positive adolescent development, but it can also be a context that contributes to adolescents engaging in risk behaviours.

AIMS:

The aim of this study is to determine the extent to which sociodemographic characteristics, the frequency of adolescent participation in structured leisure activities (SLA), and the type of SLA contribute to adolescent alcohol use and to examine the moderating effects of gender, age, and type of SLA on the relationship between the frequency of adolescent participation in SLA and adolescent alcohol use.

METHODS

Although more than 1 in every 3 US individuals will develop a substance use disorder in their lifetime, relatively little is known about the long-term patterns of substance use disorder symptoms from adolescence through adulthood.

Key Points

Question  What are the long-term patterns of substance use disorder symptoms from adolescence through adulthood?

Findings  In this national multicohort study of 5317 individuals followed from ages 18 to 50 years, the majority of adolescents with the most severe substance use disorder symptoms had 2 or more substance use disorder symptoms in adulthood...