Prescription Stimulant Diversion on a College Campus: Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, and Environmental Correlates

• Date: 01 July 2020
• Published date: 01 July 2020
• Author: Niloofar Bavarian,Kyle Yomogida,Cammie Lam,Wilma Figueroa
• DOI: 10.1177/0022042620917103
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0022042620917103

Journal of Drug Issues

2020, Vol. 50(3) 329 –340

© The Author(s) 2020

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DOI: 10.1177/0022042620917103

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Article

Prescription Stimulant Diversion on

a College Campus: Intrapersonal,

Interpersonal, and Environmental

Correlates

Cammie Lam1, Wilma Figueroa1, Kyle Yomogida1,

and Niloofar Bavarian1

Abstract

Prescription stimulant diversion is a behavior that increases the availability and accessibility of

prescription stimulants for purposes such as misuse. As such, we aimed to develop a theory-

guided understanding of diversion correlates. Data are from a probability sample of 499

undergraduate college students attending one California university. Participants completed a

100-item survey related to prescription stimulant misuse and diversion. We first calculated

prevalence of diversion and associations with demographic variables. Next, to examine

intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental correlates of diversion, we estimated three

separate nested logistic regression models. Prescription stimulant diversion during college was

reported by approximately 10% of the sample. In the nested logistic analyses, diversion was

found to be associated with intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental variables. These

findings highlight the importance of examining a comprehensive set of correlates to identify

subgroups of students at risk for engaging in sharing and/or selling of prescription stimulants.

Keywords

prescription stimulants, diversion, theory of triadic influence, college students, misuse

Introduction

Prescription stimulants (e.g., Adderall) are drugs that are used to treat conditions such as atten-

tion deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (Aftandilians, 2008; Schepis, 2018). Prescription

stimulant misuse, also known as the nonmedical, nonprescribed, and/or illicit use of stimulants,

is a common behavior among the college population for both academic and recreational reasons

(Yomogida et al., 2018). In a systematic review of 62 studies, past-month prevalence of prescrip-

tion stimulant misuse ranged from 4.15% to 22.7% (Bavarian et al., 2015). As prescription stimu-

lants are categorized as Schedule II drugs, misusing prescription stimulants can lead to

psychological or physical dependence (DeSantis et al., 2008). Given the prevalence and health

risks associated with prescription stimulant misuse, understanding factors that increase availabil-

ity are crucial to addressing this behavior.

1California State University, Long Beach, CA, USA

Corresponding Author:

Cammie Lam, Student Research Assistant, California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach,

CA 90840, USA.

Email: Cammie.Lam@student.csulb.edu

917103JODXXX10.1177/0022042620917103Journal of Drug IssuesLam et al.

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