Adolescent Marijuana Use, Marijuana-Related Perceptions, and Use of Other Substances Before and After Initiation of Retail Marijuana Sales in Colorado (2013-2015).

Due to the recentness of changes to marijuana policies in a number of states, the effect on adolescent use and perceptions is not yet well understood. This study examines change in adolescent marijuana use and related perceptions in Colorado, before and after the implementation of legal commercial sale of recreational marijuana for adults starting on January 1, 2014. The data are from a repeated cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of Colorado high school students, with separately drawn samples surveyed in fall 2013 (prior to implementation) and fall 2015 (18 months after implementation). We examined change in the prevalence of adolescent marijuana use, measured by lifetime use, past 30-day use, frequent use, and use on school property. To consider the possibility of heterogeneity in the change in marijuana use, we examined change in past 30-day marijuana use by demographic characteristics (sex, grade, race/ethnicity), school characteristics (poverty, percent minority), urbanicity of the school district, and whether the city or county permitted retail marijuana stores. There was an absence of significant effects for change in lifetime or past 30-day marijuana use. Among those reporting past 30-day use, frequent use and use on school property declined. There was a significant decline in the perceived harm associated with marijuana use, but we did not find a significant effect for perceived wrongfulness, perceived ease of access, or perceived parental disapproval. We did not find significant variability in past 30-day use by demographic characteristics or by school and community factors from 2013 to 2015. We did not find a significant effect associated with the introduction of legal sales of recreational marijuana to adults in Colorado on adolescent (illegal) use, but ongoing monitoring is warranted, including consideration of heterogeneity in the effects of marijuana policies.

Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, Mental Health, and Bullying as Predictors of Partner Violence in a Representative Sample of Youth.

PURPOSE: Partner violence (PV) is prevalent among US adolescents, though little is known about its prevalence and correlates across gender identities and sexual orientations. Existing research has frequently placed lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB), questioning, and transgender adolescents in the same category, obscuring potential differences in risk of PV. METHODS: This study (N = 9,352) uses the 2015 Healthy Kids Colorado Study, a statewide representative survey, to explore how sexual orientation and gender identity are associated with PV victimization among high-school youth, and whether there is a relationship between mental health and bullying victimization and PV. RESULTS: Out of all youth who dated in the past year, 9.4% reported experiencing past-year PV. Compared to their cisgender heterosexual peers, cisgender LGB youth (AOR = 1.48 [1.17, 1.86]) and cisgender questioning youth (AOR = 1.68 [1.13, 2.48]) had elevated risk of experiencing PV. Transgender youth, particularly those who are both transgender and LGB (AOR = 3.25 [2.02, 5.22]) or transgender and questioning their sexual orientation (AOR = 8.57 [4.28, 17.16]), had the highest risk of PV. Depressive symptoms (AOR = 1.99 [1.67, 2.37]), suicidality (AOR = 1.83 [1.62, 2.06]), bullying victimization (AOR = 1.58 [1.31, 1.91]), and online bullying victimization (AOR = 1.98 [1.62, 2.06]) were associated with PV. CONCLUSIONS: LGB, questioning and transgender high school students are at elevated risk of PV, with the highest risk among those who are both LGB and transgender. Adolescents who report PV are also more likely to be struggling with bullying, depression, and suicidality. PV prevention and response interventions should use intersectional approaches responsive to the unique needs of LGBT youth.

Measuring the Health of an Invisible Population: Lessons from the Colorado Transgender Health Survey.

BACKGROUND: Transgender people, those whose gender identity does not match their sex assigned at birth, face barriers to receiving health care. These include discrimination, prohibitive cost, and difficulty finding transgender-inclusive providers. As transgender identities are not typically recognized in public health research, the ability to compare the health of the transgender population to the overall population is limited. OBJECTIVE: The Colorado Transgender Health Survey sought to explore current disparities and their effects on the health of transgender people in Colorado. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: The Colorado Transgender Health Survey, based on the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), was developed by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, transgender advocates, and transgender community members. Outreach was targeted to transgender-inclusive events and organizations. MAIN MEASURES: Responses to the 2014 Colorado Transgender Health Survey were compared side by side to Colorado 2014 BRFSS data. RESULTS: Results from 406 transgender or gender-nonconforming adults who live in Colorado were included in the analysis. Forty percent of respondents report delaying medical care due to cost, inadequate insurance, and/or fear of discrimination. Respondents report significant mental health concerns, with 43% reporting depression, 36% reporting suicidal thoughts, and 10% attempting suicide in the past year. Respondents with a transgender-inclusive provider were more likely to receive wellness exams (76 versus 48%), less likely to delay care due to discrimination (24 versus 42%), less depressed (38 versus 54%), and less likely to attempt suicide (7 versus 15%) than those without. CONCLUSIONS: The transgender community in Colorado faces significant disparities, especially around mental health. However, a transgender-inclusive provider is associated with improved mental and physical health and health behaviors. Further population-level research and provider education on transgender health should to be incorporated into national efforts to eliminate health disparities.

A Comparison of Health Disparities among Transgender Adults in Colorado (USA) by Race and Income.

Transgender individuals face heightened risks for discrimination, harassment, and violence that impact their psychosocial well-being and physical health. However, few studies have thoroughly examined the general physical and mental health of transgender adults or within-group health differences by race/ethnicity and income. To that end, after controlling for health insurance status, age, and engagement in exercise, this study asks: (a) are transgender people of color more likely than White transgender individuals to experience poor health outcomes?, and (b) is lower annual household income among transgender adults associated with poorer health outcomes? The current study analyzes secondary data from a survey of transgender adults (N = 417) in one state in the Western United States using multiple linear regression and logistic regression models. Transgender people of color had significantly greater odds than their White counterparts of having arthritis/rheumatoid arthritis/gout/lupus/fibromyalgia, or having asthma, but lower odds of being told by a provider that they had depression. Having a lower income was significantly associated with worse general health as well as multiple indicators of poor physical and mental health, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. We discuss implications for health care delivery for transgender people and for future research.