A Test of Interaction Effects Between Cannabis Protective Behavioral Strategies and Antecedents of Cannabis-Related Consequences

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the present study was to examine tests of interaction effects between cannabis protective behavioral strategies use and a range of risk/protective factors for negative cannabis-related consequences. We recruited 2,226 college students (M_age = 20.28, SD = 3.37; 68.8% female; 75.4% White) from 10 universities throughout the U.S. who reported using cannabis in the past month to complete an online survey. Measures assessed cannabis use, negative cannabis-related consequences, cannabis protective behavioral strategies use, and 35 risk/protective factors (including socio-demographic characteristics). Cannabis protective behavioral strategies use was negatively correlated with negative cannabis-related consequences while including the risk/protective factors as covariates. Most importantly, 33% and 54% of the interaction effects tested were statistically significant, depending on the covariates entered into the model. The interaction effects had a consistent pattern such that the positive association between greater risk and negative cannabis-related consequences was weaker as cannabis protective behavioral strategies use increased. Findings suggest that the nature of these interaction effects is not specific for any given risk/protective factor. We draw parallels to research on alcohol protective behavioral strategies and offer suggestions for moving the cannabis protective behavioral strategies field forward.

KEYWORDS:

• Cannabis use
• cannabis-related consequences
• protective behavioral strategies
• college students
• interaction effects

Acknowledgments

DKR is supported by an individual training grant (F32AA028712) from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). FJS is supported by an NIAAA institutional training grant (T32AA018108). MRP is supported by an NIAAA career development award (K01AA023233). NIAAA had no role in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, writing the manuscript, or the decision to submit the paper for publication.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

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Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism [F32AA028712, K01AA023233, T32AA018108].