Abstract of Distinction: Gender- and Age-Varying Associations of Sensation Seeking and Substance Use across Young Adulthood

Introduction. Sensation seeking is associated with elevated risk for substance use among adolescents and young adults and is known to vary by gender and age. However, the association between sensation seeking and substance use has been examined primarily in aggregate. How these associations vary across age for young men and women is not well characterized.

Method. Using data from the Monitoring the Future (MTF) panel study, we examine the age-varying associations of sensation seeking and three measures of substance use behavior (past 2-week binge drinking, past 30-day cigarette use, and past 30-day marijuana use) across ages 18 to 30 using time-varying effect modeling. We also examine if and when these age-varying associations differ for men and women by examining gender interactions, while controlling for sociodemographics and other substance use. Surveys include participants in the ten most recent MTF cohorts who have been followed through age 30 (i.e., 12^th graders in 1994-2004), who completed at least one follow-up survey (N=6,338 people; 30,237 observations).

Results. The overall unadjusted association between sensation seeking and each of the three substance use behaviors is positive at all ages 18 to 30, with the strongest associations in adolescence. Differences by gender were observed in that the associations between sensation seeking and substance use decline or remain constant with age among men, while the associations decay more slowly or increase with age among women. In particular, the association with marijuana use among women increases during the late 20s, such that the association is strongest at age 30. Overall, while levels of both sensation seeking and substance use behaviors are lower among women, the magnitude of associations between them is significantly stronger for women than men at certain ages.

Conclusions. Sensation seeking is a stronger risk factor for substance use at earlier ages, yet positive associations persist until age 30. The strengthening of the association between sensation seeking and marijuana use across young adulthood among women may be due to the relative rarity of marijuana use among women compared to men at this age. Women who continue using marijuana through their late 20s may do so for sensation seeking reasons whereas men, because of relative social acceptability, may continue to do so for social reasons. Overall results indicate that sensation seeking is an important marker for risk not only in adolescence but throughout young adulthood, particularly for women. However, overall, targeting alternative outlets for sensation seeking may be more effective for adolescents than young adults.

Financial support: Grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse R01DA001411 and R01DA016575 and R01DA037902.