Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

Abstract #162711

Victoria D. Ojeda, PhD, MPH¹, Thomas Patterson, PhD², Patricia Gonzales, BS³, and Steffanie A. Strathdee, PhD¹. (1) Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Department 0622, La Jolla, CA 92093, 858-822-6165, vojeda@ucsd.edu, (2) Dept of Psychiatry, University of California, 9500 Gilman, La Jolla, CA 92093, (3) STD Control Program, CA. Department of Health Services, 3851 Rosecrans Street, San Diego, CA 92110

We examined whether risk perceptions regarding drug use and migration measures are independently associated with lifetime drug use (cigarettes, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD) among Latino and white immigrant and native-born adults. Data are from the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Cross tabulations and multivariate logistic regressions tested these relationships. Descriptive analyses showed illicit drugs were perceived as risky to one's health and well-being across groups. Logistic regressions demonstrated that Latino and white immigrants displayed lower rates of lifetime drug use than U.S.-born whites. U.S.-born Latinos exhibited higher drug use compared to immigrant Latinos. Perceived risk was associated with reduced use of all drugs but cigarettes. Language, age-at-migration, and MSA size impacts on drug use varied. Foreign birthplace appears protective for drug use among Latino and white immigrants. Additional study on risk-taking and sensation seeking vis-à-vis drug use among white Europeans and Latinos by nativity and birth-country is needed.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to describe patterns of illicit drug use among Latino and non-Latino white immigrants and natives in the U.S.
• Participants will be able to describe the attitudes toward illicit drugs among Latino and non-Latino white immigrants and natives in the U.S.
• Participants will be able to discuss the roles of perceived risk and other migration characteristics for Latino and non-Latino white immigrants and natives in the U.S.

Keywords: Immigrants, Drug Use

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.