This is a Python-based data analysis project using real-world the Youth Risk Behavior Survey to investigate the relationship between youth marijuana use and the subsequent use of other substances.
This project explores the question:
Does marijuana use among youth appear to be a causational relationship to the subsequent use of other illicit drugs?
Rather than to assume the preconceived notion that marijuana is a gateway drug, we wanted to prove statistically whether there was a relationship that warranted this idea.
The purpose of this project is to apply Python-based data analysis techniques to a real-world dataset and investigate a commonly debated question surrounding youth substance use.
The analysis focuses on identifying relationships between marijuana use and other substance use behaviors among youth.
The primary goals of the project were to:
- Obtain and work with real-world YRBS survey data.
- Clean and prepare the data for analysis.
- Identify relevant variables related to marijuana and other substance use.
- Analyze relationships between substance use behaviors.
- Present the findings using appropriate data analysis and visualization techniques.
- Determine whether the observed data supports an association between marijuana use and subsequent use of other substances.
- Practice drawing evidence based conclusions without confusing correlation with causation.
- Python
- Pandas – Data manipulation and cleaning
- NumPy – Numerical operations
- Seaborn – Statistical visualization
- Git/GitHub – Version control and project management
This project uses data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), a survey designed to monitor health-related behaviors and experiences among youth.
The dataset provides information about a variety of youth behaviors and experiences, including substance use.
The analysis uses relevant YRBS variables concerning:
- Marijuana use
- Other substance use
- Age/grade-related information
- Demographic characteristics
- Data Source
The YRBS data is publicly available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The analysis examines whether youth who report marijuana use also demonstrate higher rates of other substance use.
The project investigates:
- The prevalence of marijuana use within the dataset.
- The prevalence of other substance use behaviors.
- The relationship between marijuana use and other substance use.
- Differences in substance use patterns between groups.
- Whether the observed relationships provide evidence consistent with the gateway-drug hypothesis.
The analysis is focused on identifying relationships and associations within the data.