Epidemiology of Youth Drug Abuse

Research Findings from May, 2002 Director's Report

This section lists selected summaries from NIDA funded research projects that investigate the epidemiology, etiology, and prevention research. The summaries provided were selected from recent issues of the Director's Report to the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse. For a more comprehensive listing of NIDA funded projects see the Director's Report.

Understanding the Differences in Youth Drug Prevalence Rates Produced by the MTF,
NHSDA, and YRBS Studies

This paper explores potential reasons for the differences in drug use prevalence rates among youth generated by three nationally representative surveys: The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), the Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey, and the Youth Risk Behavioral Survey (YRBS). The MTF and YRBS are the most similar of the surveys, being conducted among students in a classroom using self-administered questionnaires. The NHSDA is conducted in the respondent's household, but it has always used self-administered procedures for the drug questions. Nevertheless, the NHSDA generally reports the lowest drug prevalence rates for youth among the three surveys. There are a number of methodological differences across the surveys that cumulatively, probably account for the differences in estimates. Some of the differences appear to be due to telescoping, in that when a calendar was introduced to anchor past 30 day and 12 month time periods in the NHSDA, prevalence rates for illicit drugs were reduced. However, there is substantial similarity in the trends over time among the three surveys, especially for cigarettes, alcohol and cocaine. Many of the estimates generated by the three surveys have overlapping confidence intervals, which suggests the estimates are not statistically significantly different from one another. Harrison, L.D. Understanding the Differences in Youth Drug Prevalence Rates Produced by the MTF, NHSDA, and YRBS Studies. Journal of Drug Issues, 31(3), pp. 665-694, 2001.

Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorder in South Florida: Racial/Ethnic and Gender Contrasts in a Young Adult Cohort

Authors present their findings of a sub-sample (N = 1,803) of students who entered middle school in 1990, and were interviewed between 1998 and 2000. Using the computer-assisted personal interviews, subjects psychiatric and substance use disorders were evaluated using the DSM IV. Investigators found that over 60% of the sample met lifetime criteria for one or more disorders. Childhood conduct and major depressive alcohol abuse disorders were the most prevalent. The rates of affective and anxiety disorders in females were double that in males, however once attention deficit disorders, conduct disorders, and antisocial personality disorders were considered, the gender difference disappeared. Lower rates were reported among African Americans for depressive disorders and substance abuse dependence. Among Hispanics, rates were found to be lower among the foreign born in comparison with their US born counterparts, especially for substance abuse disorders. This study emphasizes the need for prevention efforts in the school setting and the notion that more research needs to be done on the origins of ethnic and nativity differences. Turner, R.J., Gil, A.G. Archives General Psychiatry, 59, pp. 43-50, 2002.

Inhalant Abuse Among Three Groups of Adolescents

Analyses involving participants from three ethnic populations over the course of ten years suggest that a number of social and perceptual correlates of inhalant use operate similarly across Mexican American, American Indian, and non-Latino white adolescents. These analyses suggest that peer factors, including peer sanctions, peer use, and peer encouragement, were particularly important, though less so for Mexican American and Indian youth. Increased perception of harm is also correlated with less inhalant use for all groups. These data suggest that the historically higher rates of inhalant use for males as compared to females no longer prevail. Furthermore, for the American Indian sample, for both lifetime and 30-day prevalence, males were less likely to have used inhalants than females. Overall, American Indian adolescents participating in the survey showed decreasing rates of inhalant use over time. Beauvais, F., Wayman J.C., Jumper-Thurman, P., Plested, B., and Helm, H. Inhalant Abuse Among American Indian, Mexican American, and Non-Latino White Adolescents. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 28, pp. 171-187, 2002.

Gender Differences in Juvenile Arrestees' Drug Use, Self-Reported Dependence, and Perceived Need for Treatment

The authors examined gender differences in drug use, self-reported dependence, and perceived need for treatment in a national sample of juvenile arrestees and detainees between the ages of nine and 18 years. A sample of 4,644 boys and girls, drawn from the Juvenile Drug Use Forecasting Survey from 1992 to 1995, was matched by sex within each of seven sites by survey year. In anonymous interviews, respondents were asked about their living arrangements, drug use, and need for drug treatment. Questions about drug use covered marijuana, cocaine, crack, heroin, crystal methamphetamine, amphetamines, and phencyclidine (PCP). Logistic regression was used to identify significant predictors of drug dependence and perceived need for treatment. Results showed that girls were significantly more likely than boys to report dependence but were no more likely to report a need for treatment. Among those who reported current, frequent drug use, girls were significantly less likely than boys to report a need for treatment. Girls who reported having more severe drug problems were more likely than their male counterparts to report dependence and a need for treatment. The authors conclude that clinicians should assess and reduce barriers to treatment perceived by girls in particular to engage them in services before their drug use escalates. Kim, J.Y., and Fendrich, M. Psychiatr Serv, 53(1), pp. 70-75, January 2002.