Akiko Kikuchi

Aims To estimate the relative association between life-time volatile solvent use and risk factors for usage. Design Cross-sectional anonymous questionnaire survey. Setting junior high schools in Kanto, Japan. Participants junior high school students (n = 7 744). Measurements Data on life-time and past-year solvent use, demographic variables, urbanization, regularity of waking patterns, school life, family life, peer relationships, prior alcohol and cigarette use and knowledge on harmful effects of solvent use. Findings Uni- and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate crude and adjusted odds ratios for each index. The primary findings were (1) 'smoking cigarettes nearly every day' (adjusted OR=9.88, 95% Cl = 3.74, 26.12) and peer pressure measured by 'been tempted to use solvents' (adjusted OR = 9.53, 95% Cl = 4.84, 18.74) demonstrated the highest adjusted odds ratios; (2) being male (adjusted OR = 2.56, 95% Cl = 1.3 7, 4.76), seeing school life as 'not at all enjoyable' (adjusted OR = 2.69, 95% CI = 1.03, 7.01) and family environment as 'neither good nor bad' (adjusted OR = 2.15, 9 5% CI = 1.19, 3.88) also showed significant association; (3) life-time alcohol use did not show a significant association in the multivariate model (adjusted OR = 0.80, 95% Cl = 0.30, 2.12); and (4) solvent use appeared independent of knowledge regarding its effects ('death by acute intoxication', 'psychotic symptoms','amotivational syndrome', 'flashbacks' adjusted ORs all non-significant). Conclusion Alcohol use may not function as a gateway to solvent use in Japan. The reasons may be culture-bound. A longitudinal study is required to test this hypothesis.