Risk Factors for Nonmedical Use of Prescription Stimulants by Adolescent Girls

Relatively little is known about nonmedical use of prescription stimulants by teenage girls. To examine risk factors, trained interviewers recruited 5585 girls ages 10–18 years from entertainment venues (e.g., shopping malls, movie theaters) in 10 cities and administered written questionnaires. Nonmedical use was defined as use of someone else's medication, of more than the prescribed amount, to get high/out of curiosity/just because, to lose weight, or in other than oral form.

Overall, 6.6% of girls reported nonmedical use of prescription stimulants, and of those who reported no nonmedical use, 5.5% reported medical use. Older girls were more likely to report nonmedical use than younger ones; each 1 year increase in age was associated with …