title: Drug abuse and illicit drug use in Puerto Rico.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Based on an epidemiologic field survey of community households in Puerto Rico, this study estimates the frequency of illicit drug use and clinically defined drug abuse and/or dependence syndromes. Results are compared with those from surveys on the United States mainland. Suspected risk factors are studied as well, with a special focus on childhood misbehavior.
  
  
  METHODS
  Trained lay interviewers administered a Spanish Diagnostic Interview Schedule to 912 respondents aged 17 to 68 years who were selected by multistage probability sampling of island households.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An estimated 8.2% of the population had a history of illicit drug use and 1.2% qualified for a standardized lifetime diagnosis of drug abuse, dependence, or both. An estimated 18.4% of the male drug users and 7.7% of the female drug users met criteria for drug abuse and/or dependence. A history of drug use was related to the diagnoses of alcohol abuse and/or dependence and antisocial personality, but few persons who had used illicit drugs at least once in their lifetime reported a history of receiving treatment for alcohol, drug, or mental health problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data were consistent with a suspected association between level of childhood misbehavior and occurrence of illicit drug use, even after statistical control for potentially confounding variables.
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Canino
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Anthony
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shrout
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rubio-Stipec
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs