Citation

Barrio G, Jiménez-Mejías E, Pulido J, Lardelli-Claret P, Bravo MJ, de la Fuente L. Accid. Anal. Prev. 2012; 47: 172-176.

Affiliation

Escuela Nacional de Sanidad, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Monforte de Lemos, 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.aap.2012.01.002

PMID

22405246

Abstract

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the association between cannabis use and unintended non-fatal injuries other than those caused by road crashes. METHODS: Cross-sectional data were collected from a nationwide sample of 27,934 subjects surveyed in 2005 in Spain: 14,699 persons aged 15-34 years and 13,235 aged 35-64 years. Logistic regression was used to obtain odds ratios (OR) between patterns of cannabis use and frequency of non-traffic injuries, adjusted for sociodemographic factors and for the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. RESULTS: Cannabis use in the last 12 months was associated with a higher frequency of injuries (OR=1.4; 95% CI: 1.2-1.7). The OR in older adults (35-64 year age group) was 1.8 and 1.3 in younger people (15-34 year age group). The strongest associations found were between weekly use of cannabis and injuries from knocks and bumps (OR=5.1; 95% CI 2.9-8.9) and those occurring outside work (OR=3.0; 95% CI 1.8-4.9) in the older adult population. CONCLUSION: Although our analysis did not control for behavioural factors, cannabis use is independently associated with an increased frequency of non-traffic injuries, especially in the older adult population. These associations emphasise the need to carry out longitudinal studies addressing the causal links between cannabis use and unintended injuries.

Language: en