Past Cannabis Use, Health-Related Worry, and Beliefs About Perceived Benefits of Cannabis Among American Indians/Alaska Natives.

Autor: Fleszar-Pavlović SE; Department of Psychological Sciences, School of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts, University of California, Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA, 95343, USA.; Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center, Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California, Merced, CA, USA.; Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA., Alegria KE; Department of Psychological Sciences, School of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts, University of California, Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA, 95343, USA.; Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center, Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California, Merced, CA, USA.; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA., Vasquez JJ; Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center, Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California, Merced, CA, USA., Epperson AE; Department of Psychological Sciences, School of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts, University of California, Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA, 95343, USA. aepperson@ucmerced.edu.; Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center, Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California, Merced, CA, USA. aepperson@ucmerced.edu.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities [J Racial Ethn Health Disparities] 2023 Dec; Vol. 10 (6), pp. 2844-2850. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Dec 01.
DOI: 10.1007/s40615-022-01461-w
Abstrakt: Background: Most adults report beliefs that cannabis has at least one benefit (e.g., stress relief, chronic pain management); however, the benefits are not well established. Beliefs about cannabis benefits are associated with the initiation of use, whereas beliefs about the risks of cannabis are protective factors against its use. Little is known about how health-related beliefs impact cannabis use among American Indians/Alaska Natives (AIAN).
Purpose: This exploratory study examined beliefs about perceived benefits (i.e., stress relief, pain management) of cannabis, how beliefs vary as a function of use, and associations between health worry and benefits of cannabis among AIAN adults.
Methods: Participants (n = 182) were on average 41.4 (SD = 16.3) years old, 63.9% female, and identified as AIAN. Participants were asked questions about general demographics, health-related worry and perceptions, and cannabis use. Linear regressions were conducted to examine associations.
Results: Those who used cannabis in the past year were more likely to agree that cannabis relieves stress and less likely to believe that those who use cannabis should be very worried about their health. Participants who agreed that those who use cannabis should be worried about their health were less likely to report beliefs that cannabis relieves stress or helps with chronic pain.
Conclusions: Our study confirms the role of health-related perceptions and worry about cannabis products with cannabis use among this population that may be at risk for higher cannabis use. Findings may have implications for cannabis policy at the tribal, state, and federal levels and the need for the development of targeted communications about the true health risks of cannabis.
(© 2022. W. Montague Cobb-NMA Health Institute.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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