Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27469455›Full record

ArticleAddictive behaviors2017

Do college students improve their grades by using prescription stimulants nonmedically?

Amelia M Arria, Kimberly M Caldeira, Kathryn B Vincent, Kevin E O'Grady, M Dolores Cimini, Irene M Geisner, Nicole Fossos-Wong, Jason R Kilmer, Mary E Larimer

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Addictive behaviors, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 39 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
39citing papers in PubMed
4.7field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

39 citing papers in PubMed, 92 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Amelia M ArriaCenter on Young Adult Health and Development, University of Maryland School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral and Community Health, 2387 School of Public Health Building, College Park, MD 20742, USA. Electronic address: aarria@umd.edu.
Kimberly M CaldeiraCenter on Young Adult Health and Development, University of Maryland School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral and Community Health, 2387 School of Public Health Building, College Park, MD 20742, USA. Electronic address: caldeira@umd.edu.
Kathryn B VincentCenter on Young Adult Health and Development, University of Maryland School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral and Community Health, 2387 School of Public Health Building, College Park, MD 20742, USA. Electronic address: kvincent@umd.edu.
Kevin E O'GradyDepartment of Psychology, University of Maryland, 3109 Biology-Psychology Building, College Park, MD 20742, USA. Electronic address: ogrady@umd.edu.
M Dolores CiminiCounseling and Psychological Services, University at Albany, 400 Patroon Creek Blvd. Suite 104, Albany, NY 12206, USA. Electronic address: dcimini@albany.edu.
Irene M GeisnerCenter for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington, 1100 NE 45th St, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. Electronic address: geisner@uw.edu.
Nicole Fossos-WongCenter for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington, 1100 NE 45th St, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. Electronic address: njf2@uw.edu.
Jason R KilmerCenter for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington, 1100 NE 45th St, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98105, USA; Health and Wellness, Division of Student Life, University of Washington, 109 Elm Hall, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. Electronic address: jkilmer@uw.edu.
Mary E LarimerCenter for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington, 1100 NE 45th St, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. Electronic address: larimer@uw.edu.
University of Maryland, College Park · USUniversity of Washington · USLife University · USUniversity at Albany, State University of New York · US

Funding

The Natural History and Consequences of Ecstasy UseR01DA014845 · NIDA · UNIV OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK · PI ARRIA, AMELIA M · 2003 to 2013
$5.7M
Personalized Health Assessment Related to Medications (Project PHARM) SupplementU01DA040219 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI ARRIA, AMELIA M, CIMINI, MARIA DOLORES · 2015 to 2019
$2.4M
NIDA NIH HHS R01 DA014845NIDA NIH HHS U01 DA040219
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionMany college students engage in nonmedical use of prescription stimulants (NPS) because they believe it provides academic benefits, but studies are lacking to support or refute this belief.

methodsUsing a longitudinal design, 898 undergraduates who did not have an ADHD diagnosis were studied. Year 3 GPA (from college records) of four groups was compared: Abstainers (did not engage in NPS either year; 68.8%); Initiators (NPS in Year 3 but not Year 2; 8.7%); Desisters (NPS in Year 2 but not Year 3; 5.8%); and Persisters (NPS in both years; 16.7%). Generalized estimating equations regression was used to estimate the association between NPS and change in GPA, controlling for sex and Year 2 GPA.

resultsGPA increased significantly within Abstainers (p<0.05), but did not change significantly within the other groups. Overall, the relationship between NPS pattern group and change in GPA was not statistically significant (p=0.081). NPS was generally infrequent, but Persisters used more frequently than Desisters (11.7 versus 3.4days in Year 2) and Initiators (13.6 versus 4.0days in Year 3, both ps<0.001), controlling for sex and Year 2 GPA.

conclusionsWe cannot rule out the possibility that NPS prevented declines in GPA, but we can conclude that students who engaged in NPS showed no increases in their GPAs and gained no detectable advantages over their peers. The results suggest that prevention and intervention strategies should emphasize that the promise of academic benefits from NPS is likely illusory.

Indexed as

AchievementCentral Nervous System StimulantsAdultEducational MeasurementFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMalePrescription Drug MisuseProspective StudiesStudentsSurveys and QuestionnairesUniversitiesYoung AdultCentral Nervous System StimulantsAcademic performanceCollege studentsDrug abusePrescription drug abuseSubstance use

Identifiers

PMID27469455
PMCPMC5140739
OpenAlexW2492328890

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.