School Party Culture as a Driver of Cocaine Use Among Norwegian Adolescents: A Cross-Classified Multilevel Analysis

Abstract

Background: Adolescent substance use typically occurs within peer contexts and is influenced by characteristics of neighborhoods and the cultural environments of the schools adolescents attend. This study aimed to (i) examine variation in cocaine use among adolescents in Oslo, Norway, based on neighborhood of residence and high school affiliation; (ii) assess the significance of school-based party cultures; and (iii) identify individual-level correlates.

Methods: The study used data from the Young in Oslo 2023 survey, which collected information from a population-based sample of senior high school students (n = 9741) residing in 95 neighborhoods and attending 25 schools. Participants completed e-questionnaires with information on cocaine use, neighborhood and school affiliation, school-based party cultures, sociodemographic variables, and potential correlates of cocaine use. The data were analyzed using cross-classified multilevel models (CCMM).

Results: Of all adolescents, 9.3 % had used cocaine in the previous year. A CCMM including neighborhood and school showed an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.004 for neighborhood and 0.106 for school, indicating that 10.6 % of the variance in cocaine use was linked to school affiliation, while neighborhood var iations were negligible. Including school party culture decreased the ICC for school to 0.055, suggesting this measure accounted for half the school-level variance. Further adjustments for individual-level correlates reduced the ICC to 0.028. The most significant individual factors were male gender, alcohol intoxication, and peers use of illicit drugs. Conclusions: Certain youth milieus characterized by heavy-drinking boys and school-based party cultures increased cocaine use. Targeting these environments may be effective in prevention work.