Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #105215

Tooru Nemoto, PhD, Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of Califonia, San Francisco, 74 New Montgomery St. Suite #600, San Francisco, CA 94105, 415-597-9391, tnemoto@psg.ucsf.edu, Hyun Joo Oh, PhD, Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California San Francisco, 466 Geary Street, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94102, and Anne Morris, PhD, Arthritis Research Group, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California, Suite 270, San Francisco, CA 94143.

Significance: Asian and Pacific Islander (API) poly-drug use is an important public health issue, but details around it remain sparse and inconclusive. A large proportion of API adult drug users use multiple substances based on availability, taste, and preference. Identifying specific substance use patterns will benefit future interventions. Methodology: A community sample of 100 Chinese, 102 Filipino, and 52 Vietnamese adults not in treatment were recruited from street corners and through referrals. Participants were individually interviewed using a structured questionnaire including measures of substance use and cognitive factors. Cluster analysis was conducted. Participant characteristics: average 32.5 years old, 48.2% had less than a high school education, 19.9% female, 87.7% single, and 72.8% immigrants. Results: Four distinctive groups were identified using number of days drug used in past 30 days: 1) recreational poly-drug users (n=143), who used a little bit of everything but not everyday, 2) alcohol and crack users (n=60), who used alcohol nearly daily (mean=26.4) and crack (mean=15.2), 3) heroin users (n=15), who used heroin nearly day (mean=26.5), and 4) light drug users (n=38), who used marijuana (mean=26.1), alcohol (mean=14.2), and downers (mean=11.9). Sociodemographic differences in each cluster were statistically significant. Discussion: Distinctive patterns emerged although crack use was widespread. Heroin use was concentrated among a small proportion of participants. Targeting crack and heroin use among API drug users is needed. Participant Learning Objectives: 1) Describe API poly-drug use, 2) Recognize sociodemographic diversity among API poly-drug users, and 3) Articulate directions for substance abuse prevention strategies targeting API communities.

Learning Objectives:

) Describe API poly-drug use,
• Recognize sociodemographic diversity among API poly-drug users, and
• Articulate directions for substance abuse prevention strategies targeting API communities.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.