Page 393 - Contributed Paper Session (CPS) - Volume 2

CPS1899 Ira Joy H.M.
4. Discussion and Conclusion
This study determined the significant factors that affect the independent
variable from YAFS 4 dataset with the response variable Y = Ever used drugs.
Out of the 290 variables tested for association, 152 were significant and 11
variables were included in the final model which fitted adequately. These 11
variables included 16 categories in the final model, namely: type of respondent
(single male and married male); regions (Regions 7, 10, 11, 12, and ARMM),
”often attends religious services (at least once a week)”; “from birth up to age
18, 2nd person approves having a boyfriend/girlfriend before age 18”; “family
members frequently or almost always eat together at least one meal a day”;
“sees gambling as wrong activity”; “Satisfied with life”; “member of a
fraternity/sorority”; “Had been suspended from attending classes”; “Have ever
worked for pay, in cash or in kind”; “Had ever read pornographic or sexually
explicit books/magazines/tabloids”.
From the table, the odds of engaging in drug use for single males is 5.49
times higher than the odds for non-single males or those who are single male,
single female, or married female, assuming all other factors being equal. The
odds of engaging in drug use for married males is 7.04 times higher than the
odds for non-married males, this implies that males are more likely to use
drugs than females and among males, the married males are more likely to
use drugs. This may be due to greater risk-taking behaviors and greater
freedom of experimenting and becoming involved in risky situations of males.
Aside from this, a study conducted by Van and Anthony (2001) showed that
males have higher opportunity to access and use drugs than females. Some
regions in the Philippines was also included in the model where residents of
Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, and SOCCSKSARGEN
have higher odds of engaging in drug use compare to the odds of those who
live do not live among these regions.
Considering another factor, attending religious activities at least once a
week reduces the risk of engaging in drug use by 46% compared to those who
attend less frequently or those who do not attend at all. This result is consistent
with a study conducted in Baltimore where it was concluded that religious
participation is a key factor between religion and drug behavior (Billioux et al,
2014). It further reasoned that religious participation influences drug use
behavior by imbibing moral order and helpful competencies and by providing
relational and social bonds.
Respondents who have an approval of him/her entering a romantic
relationship before age 18 have higher risk of drug use than those without
approval from the second person who raised him/her. Aside from the
permissive attitude of the parents on their approval of early romantic
relationships, a study in by Miller et. al (2009) showed that youth who dates
early are more likely to participate in drug use and delinquency, in fact, the

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