With the recent legalization of recreational marijuana use in states spanning the country, rates of marijuana use among college students are climbing. Marijuana is one of the most heavily used drugs among young adults and the literature on sex differences in consequences of marijuana use is sparse. This study examined sex differences in marijuana-related negative consequences among college students. Data were collected from students across 9 campuses who indicated past year non-medical use of prescription stimulant medication as part of a larger web-based study. Participants (n=341) reported past year frequency of marijuana use and related consequences using the Rutgers Marijuana Problem Index. Results revealed a main effect of sex on "feeling down about yourself" as a consequence of marijuana use, indicating that men were more likely to endorse this consequence than women. Results also revealed a main effect for marijuana use frequency; indicating heavier users were more likely to report feeling down about themselves, trouble managing their time, and making decisions they later regretted. Two-way interactions between marijuana use frequency and sex were also explored. A marginally significant interaction revealed that male, but not female, frequent users reported feeling down about themselves because of their marijuana use more than less frequent users. We also found a marginally significant interaction among lower frequency users, where men report having trouble managing their time more than women, but this was reversed when looking at higher frequency marijuana users, with women indicating greater endorsement. Lastly, we found that among women, marijuana use frequency was unrelated to making decisions they later regretted. Conversely, among men, more frequent marijuana users reported this consequence more than all other groups, whereas less frequent male marijuana users reported this consequence the least. Differences in consequences associated with marijuana use have implications for intervention efforts for male and female students. 

The United States recycles or composts only a quarter of its waste, with the remainder being buried in landfills. Organics, paper, and plastics, which can be recycled and composted, comprise the three largest categories of landfilled materials. It has been demonstrated that familiarizing youth with proper waste disposal methods increases landfill diversion at school and home, resulting in behaviors that continue through adulthood. In this study, I used a solid waste audit to characterize the waste disposal of a large Washington middle school. Initially, I used a survey and focus group to better understand the research needs of this particular school. Targeted goals and specific research questions were then derived from these data, which had been collected from the school’s green team. Fifteen students from the green team completed the survey, while seven participated in a focus group to further articulate their goals and aims. The overall goals were to reduce the school’s total amount of food waste and improve sorting efficiencies. Research questions included: how much waste is improperly disposed of, which materials are misplaced most, and how well do teachers sort their waste compared to students. I then conducted the audit during Spring quarter. Waste was collected from three student lunch periods as well as the teacher’s lounge and was then sorted into disposal categories, examined for contamination, and weighed. Data analysis included identifying barriers to disposal. In collaboration with the school’s green team, I then used my findings to help inform the creation of more targeted and efficient interventions. Participation in the waste audit’s design and analysis helped create a more meaningful experience for students to reflect on their own disposal habits. Hopefully, this research may act as a guide or template so other schools may incorporate waste audits into their own recycling or composting programs.

King County is home to many non-English speaking populations. Language and cultural barriers must be accounted for in risk communication materials to limit adverse health risks following extreme weather events. During the summer of 2017, Washington experienced a heat wave and increase in air pollution from wildfires. In King County, exposure to extreme heat has been shown to increase risk of all cause mortality by 10%, while poor air quality contributes to 16% of all deaths worldwide.. Despite the growing evidence about communication with non-English populations during extreme weather events, research has yet to examine ethnic media outlets’ approaches to communicating health risks. In Washington state, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Somali are the top 5 non-English languages spoken. In response, we sought to assess if and how local ethnic newspapers disseminated risk communication information during the 2017 heat wave and air quality event. We used descriptive statistics to compare the number of ethnic news media messages to the Seattle Times, the predominant newspaper in King County, and assessed the messages communicated based on air quality day. The research findings show that non-English newspapers included fewer risk communication messages, including on days with air quality levels known to increase health risks. On the other hand, the Seattle Times included messages about health prevention methods, daily weather forecasts, and informational articles on the cause of the events. Our findings suggest that there is a need to improve risk communication during wildfire and heat events to populations with limited English proficiency in King County. We recommend engaging members of non-English speaking communities to identify the best communication methods, and work with newspapers serving these communities to promote awareness during future extreme weather events.