The Effects of Adolescent Alcohol and Marijuana Use on Delaying Enrolment in Postsecondary Education: An Examination of Gender Differences

Introduction: Many students delay enrolment in postsecondary education (PSE). In Canada and the USA, about 50% of high-school graduates enrol on-time (within 3 months), while others take a gap year or delay longer. Research shows that delayers are more likely to drop out of college and have lower earnings in their early 30s than those who enrol on time (Crawford and Cribb, 2001). This suggests that timing is an important component in the success of educational transitions. Adolescent substance use interferes with educational attainment (Fleming et al., 2012), but its relationship to timing of enrolment has not been studied. The present study asks (1) whether heavy drinking and marijuana use during adolescence are associated with delayed enrolment in PSE among high-school graduates, and (2) whether there are gender differences in these associations.

Method: Participants were 480 Canadian adolescents interviewed five times (biennially) between 2003 and 2011 (T5 age = 20 to 27; 54% female). Participants were divided into three groups: (1) those who enrolled in PSE on time (n=220) (2) those who took a gap year (n=107) and (3) those who delayed enrolment longer than 15 months (n=153). Latent growth modeling was used to examine trajectories of heavy episodic (binge) drinking and frequency of marijuana use from ages 15 to 25. Enrolment timing was examined as a predictor of these trajectories for males and females, controlling for SES, high-school grades, and type of PSE enrolment (4-year vs. 2-year college).

Results: On average, frequency of heavy drinking and frequency of marijuana use both increased throughout adolescence, peaked between ages 19-21 and decreased thereafter. Men drank more and used marijuana more frequently than women at all ages. Frequency of heavy drinking was higher at ages 15 to 17 amongst both males and females who delayed enrolment longer than 15 months. Women who took a gap year and those who delayed longer than 15 months reported more marijuana use at ages 15 to 19 than those who enrolled on time. Men who delayed longer than 15 months reported more marijuana use at ages 17 to 19.

Conclusions: High-school-age heavy drinking and marijuana use may hamper smooth transitions from high-school to PSE, perhaps by interfering with adolescents’ capacity to engage in planning and preparation behaviours for PSE enrolment. As fewer females used marijuana during adolescence than males, female use may be more deviant, and therefore more strongly related to difficulties transitioning into PSE.