Jasna Lulic Drenjak1,2, Mateo Blazevic2, Aleksandar Selmanovic3
1University of Rijeka, Faculty of Health Studies, Rijeka, Croatia
2University of Split, Faculty of Kinesiology, Split, Croatia
3University of Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Sport and Physical Activity as Correlates of Cannabis Misuse in College Students: A Cross-Sectional Study over the Early Postpandemic Period
Sport Mont 2025, 23(1), 117-123 | DOI: 10.26773/smj.250218
Abstract
Sport and physical activity (PA) are considered protective against substance misuse, including cannabis misuse (CM). This study aimed to investigate the associations between various sport factors (SF) and PA, and CM (outcome) in college students in the early post-pandemic period. The participants were 650 college students from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (19-23 years of age, 306 females). They were tested on SF (participation in sport, sport competitive achievement, time of involvement in sport), PA (all predictors), and CM (outcome). Gender-stratified logistic regressions between predictors and binarized CM (users vs nonusers) were calculated. Males were more involved in sports (Mann‒Whitney =9.36, p<0.001) had more experience in competitive sports (MW=11.15, p<0.001) and achieved better sport success than females (Mann‒Whitney =8.21, p<0.001). Logistic regression revealed a lower likelihood of CM in males who achieved greater competitive success in sports (OR=0.87, 95% CI: 0.77–0.94) and in females who reported greater PA (OR=0.79, 95% CI: 0.59–0.97). The associations between sport success (in males) and greater PA (in females) with lower CM are multifaceted and should be investigated in more detail prospectively.
Keywords
lifestyle medicine, psychoactive substances, correlations, influence, sports
View full article
(PDF – 207KB)
References
Ashton, C. H. (2001). Pharmacology and effects of cannabis: a brief review. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 178(2), 101-106.
Assaf, R. D., Gorbach, P. M., & Cooper, Z. D. (2022). Changes in medical and non-medical cannabis use among United States adults before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 48(3), 321-327. https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2021.2007257
Barney, D., Benham, L., & Haslem, L. (2014). Effects of college student's participation in physical activity classes on stress. American Journal of Health Studies, 29(1). https://doi.org/10.47779/ajhs.2014.206
Bartel, S., Sherry, S., & Stewart, S. (2020). Self-isolation: A significant contributor to cannabis use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Substance Abuse, 41(4), 409-412. https://doi.org/10.1080/08897077.2020.1823550
Bjelica, D., Idrizovic, K., Popovic, S., Sisic, N., Sekulic, D., Ostojic, L., … Zenic, N. (2016, Sep 29). An Examination of the Ethnicity-Specific Prevalence of and Factors Associated with Substance Use and Misuse: Cross-Sectional Analysis of Croatian and Bosniak Adolescents in Bosnia and Herzegovina. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 13(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13100968
Borgonhi, E. M., Volpatto, V. L., Ornell, F., Rabelo-da-Ponte, F. D., & Kessler, F. H. P. (2021). Multiple clinical risks for cannabis users during the COVID-19 pandemic. Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 16(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13722-021-00214-0
Bue-Estes, C. L., Willer, B., Burton, H., Leddy, J. J., Wilding, G. E., & Horvath, P. J. (2008). Short-term exercise to exhaustion and its effects on cognitive function in young women. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 107(3), 933-945.
Carron, A. V., Bray, S. R., & Eys, M. A. (2002). Team cohesion and team success in sport. Journal of Sports Sciences, 20(2), 119-126.
Charron, J., Carey, V., Roy, P., Comtois, A., & Ferland, P. (2020). Acute effects of cannabis consumption on exercise performance: a systematic and umbrella review. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 61(4), 551-561. https://doi.org/ 10.23736/S0022-4707.20.11003-X
Connor, J. P., Stjepanović, D., Le Foll, B., Hoch, E., Budney, A. J., & Hall, W. D. (2021). Cannabis use and cannabis use disorder. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 7(1), 16. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41572-021-00247-4
Drenjak, J. L., Pehar, M., Užičanin, E., Kontić, D., & Zenić, N. (2023). Physical activity, sport participation, and cigarette smoking in university students after COVID-19 pandemic; Cross sectional analysis of the associations in south-eastern Europe. Montenegrin Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 12(1), 61-68. https://doi.org/10.26773/mjssm.230308
Drenjak, J. L., Užičanin, E., & Zenić, N. (2023). Sport, Physical Activity and (Harmful) Alcohol Drinking in University Students During the First Year After COVID-19 Pandemic: Gender-Stratified Cross-Sectional Study. Polish Journal of Sport and Tourism, 30(2), 15-21. https://doi.org/ 10.2478/pjst-2023-0009
Elbendary, E. Y., Hassan, A. A., Salem, S. F., Abdalla, S. E., & Smolić, M. (2020). Prevalence and Health Adverse Effects of Khat Chewing Among College Students in Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia. Collegium Antropologicum, 44(2), 81-86. https://doi.org/ 10.5671/ca.44.2.3
Gilic, B., Zenic, N., Separovic, V., Jurcev Savicevic, A., & Sekulic, D. (2021, May 27). Evidencing the influence of pre-pandemic sports participation and substance misuse on physical activity during the COVID‑19 lockdown: a prospective analysis among older adolescents. International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, 34(2), 151-163. https://doi.org/10.13075/ijomeh.1896.01733
Hackfort, D., & Schinke, R. (2020). The Routledge International Encyclopedia of Sport and Exercise Psychology: Volume 1: Theoretical and Methodological Concepts. Taylor & Francis. https://books.google.hr/books?id=uD73DwAAQBAJ
Hasin, D. S. (2018). US epidemiology of cannabis use and associated problems. Neuropsychopharmacology, 43(1), 195-212. https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2017.198
Henchoz, Y., Dupuis, M., Deline, S., Studer, J., Baggio, S., N'Goran, A. A., … Gmel, G. (2014). Associations of physical activity and sport and exercise with at-risk substance use in young men: a longitudinal study. Preventive Medicine, 64, 27-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.03.022
Herring, M. P., O'Connor, P. J., & Dishman, R. K. (2014). Self-esteem mediates associations of physical activity with anxiety in college women. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 46(10), 1990-1998. https://doi.org/ 10.1249/MSS.0000000000000323
Kanning, M., & Schlicht, W. (2010). Be active and become happy: an ecological momentary assessment of physical activity and mood. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 32(2), 253-261.
Kanters, M. A. (2000). Recreational sport participation as a moderator of college stress. Recreational Sports Journal, 24(2), 10-23.
Korhonen, T., Kujala, U. M., Rose, R. J., & Kaprio, J. (2009). Physical activity in adolescence as a predictor of alcohol and illicit drug use in early adulthood: a longitudinal population-based twin study. Twin Research and Human Genetics, 12(3), 261-268.
Kozubal, A., Kozubal, K., Warchol, K., Bartosiewicz, A., Luszczki, E., Król, P., … Stepien-Slodkowska, M. (2022). The influence of lockdown on the physical activity and subjective health in the teachers of physical education in Poland. Central European Journal of Sport Sciences and Medicine, 38(02). https://doi.org/10.18276/cej.2022.2-03
López-Valenciano, A., Suárez-Iglesias, D., Sanchez-Lastra, M. A., & Ayán, C. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on university students' physical activity levels: an early systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 624567. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.624567
Mehra, K., Rup, J., Wiese, J. L., Watson, T. M., Bonato, S., & Rueda, S. (2023). Changes in self-reported cannabis use during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review. BMC Public Health, 23(1), 2139. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-17068-7
Miller, K., Laha-Walsh, K., Albright, D. L., & McDaniel, J. (2022). Cannabis use during the COVID-19 pandemic: results from a longitudinal study of Cannabis users. Journal of Substance Use, 27(1), 38-42. https://doi.org/ 10.1080/14659891.2021.1885517
Muracki, J., Zadarko-Domaradzka, M., Zaradko, E., Smoler, M., Silva, A. F., & Kruszynska, E. (2023). Mental state and motivation to physical exercise in university students during COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. Central European Journal of Sport Sciences and Medicine, 44(04). https://doi.org/10.18276/cej.2023.4-04
Myrna-Bekas, R., Kałwa, M., Stefaniak, T., & Kulmatycki, L. (2012). Mood changes in individuals who regularly participate in various forms of physical activity. Human Movement, 13(2), 170-177.
Noel, N. E., & Cohen, D. J. (1997). Changes in substance use during times of stress: College students the week before exams. Journal of Drug Education, 27(4), 363-372.
Ong, L. Q., Bellettiere, J., Alvarado, C., Chavez, P., & Berardi, V. (2021). Cannabis use, sedentary behavior, and physical activity in a nationally representative sample of US adults. Harm Reduction Journal, 18(1), 48. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-021-00496-2
Rippe, J. M. (2011). Encyclopedia of lifestyle medicine and health. Sage Publications.
Sekulic, D., Ostojic, D., Decelis, A., Castro-Pinero, J., Jezdimirovic, T., Drid, P., Ostojic, L., & Gilic, B. (2021, Oct 1). The Impact of Scholastic Factors on Physical Activity Levels during the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Prospective Study on Adolescents from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Children (Basel), 8(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/children8100877
Smirmaul, B. P., Chamon, R. F., de Moraes, F. M., Rozin, G., Moreira, A. S. B., de Almeida, R., & Guimarães, S. T. (2021). Lifestyle medicine during (and after) the COVID-19 pandemic. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 15(1), 60-67. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827620950276
Thompson, T. P., Horrell, J., Taylor, A. H., Wanner, A., Husk, K., Wei, Y., … Sinclair, J. (2020). Physical activity and the prevention, reduction, and treatment of alcohol and other drug use across the lifespan (The PHASE review): A systematic review. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 19, 100360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhpa.2020.100360
West, A. B., Bittel, K. M., Russell, M. A., Evans, M. B., Mama, S. K., & Conroy, D. E. (2020). A systematic review of physical activity, sedentary behavior, and substance use in adolescents and emerging adults. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 10(5), 1155-1167. https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibaa008
Zenic, N., Lipowska, M., Maric, D., Versic, S., Vlahovic, H., & Gilic, B. (2021, Nov 12). Exploring the Association between Alcohol Drinking and Physical Activity in Adolescence; Two-Year Prospective Study in Younger Adolescents from Bosnia and Herzegovina. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(22). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182211899
Zenic, N., & Sattler, T. (2021). Sport Factors as Correlates of Smoking, Drinking and Multiple Substance Misuse in Adolescence: Cross-Sectional Study. Kinesiologia Slovenica, 27(1). https://doi.org/10.52165/kinsi.27.1.35-51