The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

5042.0: Wednesday, November 13, 2002 - Board 9

Abstract #50712

Prevalence of drug use behaviors among Japanese youth

Sachiko Omori, RN, PHN1, Mie Takenaka, BS2, Yasuharu Hidaka, MS3, and Takuma Shirasaka, MD, PhD2. (1) Health Center, Kansai University, 2-1-1, Ryozenji, Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan, 81-6-6368-1121, uta28@hotmail.com, (2) Osaka National Hospital, 2-1-1 Hoenzaka, Chuo - ku, Osaka, Japan, (3) Department of Global Health and Socio-Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Kyoto University, Yoshida konoe - cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan

Studies have been done to find out sexual behaviors among Japanese youth, especially recently in terms of HIV risk behaviors. However, drug use behavior has not been a part of these studies. Although governmental studies have conducted to see the norms of youth around drugs and police reports show the number of youth who were caught for using certain outlaw drugs, drug use behaviors of youth who not necessarily get caught by police have not been apparent. In order to know what are putting youth at risk for HIV transmission, we see the needs to study drug use behaviors to see if HIV risk behaviors exist such as drug use when having sex and drug use with shared needles. This study was conduced in a particular area in urban Osaka where youth gather in the daily bases. Participants were recruited at the area (N=2,096). Average age was 19.4 years old (range 15 to 24, inclusion criteria). Eighteen-two percent of study participants have used drugs such as marijuana and solvent. Also, 6.8 percent reported using drugs right before and/or during sex. Findings show that there is an immediate need for prevention intervention which base on the situation of this population. In order to do this in effective ways, it is necessarily to further investigate detailed drug use behaviors and situations, as well as ways of accessing to drugs.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Drug Use, Sexual Behavior

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.

IH Posters VI

The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA