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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Christina Chan, MPH¹, Danielle C. Ompad, PhD¹, Crystal Fuller, Phd², David Vlahov, PhD¹, and Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH³. (1) Center for Urban Epidemiologic Studies, New York Academy of Medicine, 1216 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10029, 212-419-3544, cchan@nyam.org, (2) New York Academy of Medicene, 5th Avenue and 103rd Street, New York, NY 10029, (3) Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, 1214 South University, Room 243, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

We investigated the relation between acculturation and drug use behaviors within a community-based sample of Hispanic drug users and non-drug users, aged 18+ recruited from targeted neighborhoods in New York City. Acculturation was a self-reported measure of “ethnic identity”, based on subject's race/ethnicity and the culture(s) best describing their overall lifestyle. Of 197 Hispanics enrolled, 6.1% were non-drug users, 22.3% former users; 49.2% injection drug users; 22.3% non-injecting drug users. The study population was primarily Puerto Rican (90.7%); mostly male (71.6%); median age was 35 years. Roughly half (49.7%) identified as “mostly American”; the other half identified as “mostly Latino”. Compared to “mostly Americans”, the “mostly Latino” group was more likely to report injection drug use (IDU) (61.6% vs. 36.7%,p=0.0005) and higher frequency of lifetime heroin use (88.9% vs. 79.6%,p=0.073) and IDU (69.7% vs. 49.0%,p=0.003). Daily cocaine and heroin use was more common among “mostly Latinos” (22.2% vs. 9.2%,p=0.012 and 40.4% vs. 21.4%,p=0.004, respectively). This group also had higher rates of heroin dependence (66.7% vs. 39.8%,p=0.088), as well as HCV (60.6% vs. 41.8%,p=0.010), HBV (37.4% vs. 25.2%,p=0.059) and HIV infection (13.1% vs. 5.1%,p=0.051). These preliminary data suggest that less-acculturated Hispanic drug users have higher rates of substance use, HIV, and infectious hepatitis. Future studies should evaluate other dimensions of acculturation including perceptions of risk and social context of use as possible mechanisms for this association. Organizations serving Hispanic drug users should also consider the heterogeneity within Latin subgroups when designing prevention and treatment programs.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the prevalence of drug use behaviors among Hispanics in NYC neighborhoods.
• Define differences in ethnic identity among Hispanics.
• Evaluate the association between ethnic identity and drug use behaviors among Hispanics in NYC.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered