Use of stimulant drugs among high school adolescents in a Metropolitan Region: a school-based study

Authors

  • Franciéle Marabotti Costa Leite Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brasil.
  • Tiffani Matos Oliveira Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brasil.
  • Letícia Peisino Buleriano Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brasil.
  • Micael Franco Alves Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brasil.
  • Mayara Alves Luis Prefeitura de Vitória, Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Vitória, Vitória, ES, Brasil.
  • Carlos Augusto Lopes Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brasil.
  • Fernanda Garcia Gabira Miguez Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brasil.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/1518-8345.8157.4965

Keywords:

Adolescent; Central Nervous System Stimulants; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Cross-Sectional Studies; Sexual and Gender Minorities.

Abstract

Objective:  to identify the prevalence of stimulant drugs among adolescents in high school and the associated factors. Method:  cross-sectional study with 4,614 adolescents between 14 and 19 years old. Descriptive, bivariate (chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test) and multivariate (Poisson regression with robust variance) analyses were performed, adopting a significance level of p<0.05. Results:  the prevalence of lifetime use was 6% (95% confidence interval: 5.4-6.8), and current use was 1.6% (95% confidence interval: 1.3-2.0). Higher prevalence of stimulant drug experimentation among adolescents aged 18 to 19 years (PR: 2.24), LGBTQIA+ (PR: 1.35), black race (PR: 1.55), with work (PR: 1.68) and whose parents live separately (PR: 1.62). Adolescents who belong to the Catholic or Evangelical religion had lower frequencies of experimentation and current use (p<0.05). Current use was more frequent among those of black race (PR: 2.94), class B (PR: 2.27), and those who have a job (PR: 2.69). Conclusion:   it is observed that experimentation and use of stimulant drugs are present among adolescents and that sociodemographic and behavioral factors are associated with this practice. Integrated strategies between the health, education, social assistance and public security sectors are necessary for the prevention and mitigation of the problem in school, family and community environments.

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Published

2026-11-02

Issue

Vol. 34 (2026)

Section

Original Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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How to Cite

Leite, F. M. C., Oliveira, T. M., Buleriano, L. P., Alves, M. F., Luis, M. A., Lopes, C. A., & Miguez, F. G. G. (2026). Use of stimulant drugs among high school adolescents in a Metropolitan Region: a school-based study. Revista Latino-Americana De Enfermagem, 34, e4965. https://doi.org/10.1590/1518-8345.8157.4965