What topics does this cannabis study cover?

This study covers research on: Mental Health.

Where was this research published?

Published in Addictive behaviors on October 1, 2026.

Mental Health

Avoidance coping and stress were linked to prenatal cannabis use

Q: What did this research study find?

Among **1,066 Black pregnant participants**, **21.3%** reported using cannabis during pregnancy.

Exploring the relationship between avoidance coping and cannabis use among black pregnant women.

Addictive behaviors • October 1, 2026 • Highly Relevant

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AI Summary

This prospective cohort study examined whether avoidance coping was associated with prenatal cannabis use among Black pregnant women, and whether perceived stress helped explain that relationship. The analysis included 1,066 participants with cannabis-use data recruited from prenatal clinics in Detroit, Columbus, and Orlando. Cannabis use during pregnancy was self-reported, and the researchers used adjusted regression and mediation analyses; this was an observational study, not a trial of cannabis use or an intervention.

Overall, 21.3% reported cannabis use during pregnancy. Greater avoidance coping was associated with higher odds of use: compared with the lowest coping tertile, adjusted odds were 1.80 in the middle tertile and 2.45 in the highest. Perceived stress statistically mediated part of the relationship, accounting for 36.4% of the total effect. Because coping, stress, and cannabis use were assessed observationally, the findings cannot establish that stress or avoidance coping caused cannabis use, or that changing either would reduce it. This is an abstract-based summary; the abstract does not provide enough information to assess all study limitations or establish clinical effects.

💡 Key Findings

Among 1,066 Black pregnant participants, 21.3% reported using cannabis during pregnancy.

High

95%

Higher avoidance coping was associated with greater adjusted odds of prenatal cannabis use: 1.80 for the middle tertile and 2.45 for the highest tertile, compared with the lowest.

High

90%

Perceived stress statistically mediated the association, accounting for 36.4% of the total effect; the observational analysis cannot establish causation.

High

85%

📄 Original Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the association between avoidance coping and prenatal cannabis use among Black pregnant women and explored whether perceived stress mediated this relationship. METHODS: Data were drawn from the Biosocial Impact on Black Births (BIBB) study, a prospective cohort that enrolled Black pregnant women (18-45 years) with singleton pregnancies from prenatal clinics in Detroit (MI), Columbus (OH), and Orlando (FL) between 2017-2022. Participants completed a validated measure of the Revised Prenatal Coping Inventory for avoidance coping and self-reported ever use of cannabis during pregnancy. Logistic regression was used to adjust for maternal age, household income, education level, marital status, social support, gestational age at enrollment, and state of residence. Mediation analysis assessed perceived stress as a potential mediator using regression-based path models and the Sobel test. RESULTS: Among 1,066 participants with cannabis use data, 21.3 % reported using cannabis during pregnancy. After adjustment, avoidance coping strategy was significantly associated with prenatal cannabis use, suggesting that individuals who rely more on avoidance coping are more likely to use cannabis during pregnancy. Compared to the lowest tertile, the odds of prenatal cannabis use were 1.80 (95 % CI: 1.19-2.76) in the second tertile and 2.45 (95 % CI: 1.61-3.76) in the third tertile of avoidance coping. Mediation analysis showed that perceived stress mediated this relationship (p < 0.05), accounting for 36.4 % of the total effect. CONCLUSIONS: Findings underscore the importance of promoting adaptive coping strategies and addressing psychological stress in culturally responsive health interventions to reduce reliance on prenatal cannabis use.

Paper Type

📄 Research

Publication

Journal: Addictive behaviors
Published: October 1, 2026
PMID: 42826541
DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2026.108872

Authors (6)

Christabelle Toso Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Ban Al-Sahab Department of Family Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
Harish Neelam Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
Sophia A Hussen Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Dawn P Misra Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA. Electronic address: misradaw@msu.edu.
+1 more authors