Below is an abstract from an article in the medical and public health literature. Read carefully and answer the following.

What is the research question?

What is the population of interest?

What is the primary outcome? And what is the type of the outcome variable?

What is the sampling method? (leave blank if not listed)

What is the study design?

Abstract 2

Renee M. Johnson, Ashley Brooks-Russell, Ming Ma, Brian J. Fairman, Rickey L. Tolliver, Jr., Arnold H. Levinson. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2016 Jul; 77(4): 580-588

Objective

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of modes of marijuana consumption among Colorado youth and explore variation by demographics, access, substance use, and risk perceptions.

Method

Data are from a 2013 survey of Colorado high school students (N = 25,197; 50.5% female). The outcome variable was usual mode of marijuana consumption (i.e., smoking, vaporizing, ingesting edibles, or other) among those reporting past 30-day marijuana use. Classification variables included sex, grade level, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, current alcohol and cigarette use, frequent marijuana use, early marijuana use (<13 years), perceived harmfulness, and perceived wrongfulness. We calculated prevalence estimates overall and by the variables listed above, and also conducted multinomial logistic regression models.

(From the method section in the paper: The methodology for collecting HKCS data is consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), and standard YRBS questions and protocols are used (e.g., quality control measures to detect careless responses) (Brener et al., 2013; Kann et al., 2013). The HKCS uses a two-stage stratified cluster sampling design. For first-stage sampling, a sampling frame of public schools was stratified by Colorado's 21 health statistics regions. Schools were randomly sampled within regions. For second-stage sampling, classrooms were selected, and all students within selected classrooms were invited to participate. Schools and classrooms were selected systematically, and all students in the state had a known probability of selection).

Results

Findings indicate that 15% of Colorado high school students who use marijuana report that they usually use a mode of consumption other than smoking. Among students reporting past 30-day marijuana use, 85% said smoking was their usual mode of consumption. The remainder reported that their usual mode of consumption was vaporizing (6%), ingesting edibles (5%), or another method (4%). Boys, Whites, Asians, and 12th graders were the most likely to report vaporizing. High perceived harmfulness was associated with vaporizing or ingesting edibles.

Conclusions

The majority of Colorado youth who use marijuana usually smoke it. Youth may be using vaporizers and ingesting edibles as a way to reduce the harm associated with inhaling combusted smoke.