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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Stella M. Yu, ScD, MPH1, Zhihuan J Huang, PhD2, Renee Schwalberg, MPH3, Mary D Overpeck, DrPH4, and Michael D Kogan, PhD4. (1) HRSA/MCHB/ODIM, HRSA, 5600 Fishers Lane, 18A-41, Rockville, MD 20857, 301 443-0695, syu@hrsa.gov, (2) Children's National Medical Center, 111 Michigan Av, NW, Washington, DC, DC 20010, (3) MCH Information Resource Center, 1200 18th St. NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC, DC 20036, (4) MCHB/HRSA, 5600 Fishers Lane, 18-41, Rockville, MD 20857
Objectives: To examine the association of acculturation, as measured by language spoken at home, with substance abuse for Asian-American adolescents. Methods: Using the U.S. component of the 1997/98 WHO Study of Health Behavior in School Children, bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted of Asian adolescents (N=696) in grades 6-10 to explore the relationship between the language spoken at home and the use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs. Odds ratios and their associated 95% confidence intervals were reported after controlling for gender, age and maternal education. Results: For Asian youths, those who spoke both English and another language at home were significantly less likely than non-Hispanic white English speakers (reference group) to ever use tobacco [OR=0.5(0.3-0.8)], alcohol [OR=0.6(0.4-0.9)], or marijuana [OR=0.4(0.3-0.7)]. They were also less likely to be consistent users: ever to have smoked a full cigarette [OR=0.5(0.3-0.7)], to use beer monthly or more [OR=0.3(0.2-0.5)], or to use marijuana monthly or more [OR=0.2(0.1-0.5)]. Those who only speak another language at home were even less likely to smoke tobacco frequently [OR=0.2(0.1-0.7)], to ever use alcohol [OR=0.4(0.2-0.8)], or to use marijuana frequently [OR=0.3(0.1-0.9)] than the reference group. The Asian youths who speak only English at home were not significantly different from the reference group. Conclusions: Less acculturated Asian youths have less risk for substance abuse than non-Hispanic white English speakers. Efforts to develop culturally competent strategies to prevent substance use among Asian adolescents should take into account their differential risks and needs at varying levels of acculturation.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.