Substance use and abuse by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders: preliminary results from four national epidemiologic studies.
OBJECTIVE
The authors analyzed four recent large national surveys to assess the degree of use and abuse of a wide range of psychoactive substances across subgroups of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) and in comparison with whites.


METHODS
The surveys analyzed were the 1999 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, the 1992 National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey, and the 1995 National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health In-School and In-Home surveys. The AAPI sample sizes varied from 900 to more than 4,500 across the four surveys.


RESULTS
Among major racial groups, use of major substances is lowest for AAPIs. Among disaggregated AAPI groups, Japanese Americans have the highest substance use rates. Mixed-heritage AAPIs are at high risk for substance use, even after controlling for cultural protective factors and socioeconomic measures. Differential rates correspond to the ranking of several acculturation and socioeconomic indices.


CONCLUSIONS
The results, while preliminary, point to the importance of rethinking ethnic and racial classifications for estimating substance use and abuse, for studying substance abuse problems in mixed-heritage adolescents, and for studying socioenvironmental and potentially genetic protective factors.
Price
Rumi Kato
RK
Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 40 N. Kingshighway, Suite 2, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA. price@rkp.wustl.edu
Risk
Nathan K
NK
Wong
Mamie Mee
MM
Klingle
Renee Storm
RS
D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006254:Hawaii / Q000453:epidemiology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D010139:Pacific Islands / Q000208:ethnology; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000208:ethnology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data