title: Employment experience in relation to alcohol, tobacco, and betel nut use among youth in Taiwan.
abstract: The aim of this study is to assess the association linking employment experience with alcohol, tobacco, and betel nut involvement among youth in Taiwan. In 2004, an outreach program was conducted during weekdays to recruit youth sample in seven major geographic regions. A total of 5886 youth aged 12-18 years drawn from 26 cities or towns were assessed by a two-page anonymous self-administered questionnaire, including sociodemographic characteristics, employment-, development-, and drug-related experiences. In Taiwan, youthful experience of alcohol, tobacco, and polydrug use varies by employment status, work intensity, and job type. Holding a full-time job and working in certain settings (e.g., grocery, restaurants) were found associated with an excess of drug-using behaviors. With taking age, male gender, family context, disposable allowance, and school attendance into account, working youths were two to four times as likely to have recent drug involvement than their non-working counterparts, especially for tobacco and polydrug (OR=3.32, 95% CI: 2.58-4.27, p<0.001; OR=3.76, 95% CI: 2.76-5.13, p<0.001). Youths in the labor force emerge as a subgroup experiencing greater use of alcohol, tobacco, betel nut, and polydrug. Future prevention programs may target this high-risk group to reduce possible drug-related negative consequences in developmental and health domains in Taiwan.
authors.affiliation: Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Research, National Health Research Institutes, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chuan-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wen-Chun
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chih-Yin
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lew-Ting
authors.forename: Ching-Mei
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Cheng-Fang
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: Duan-Rung
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chuhsing Kate
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Hsiao
authors.forename: Chaucer C H
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ming-Jen
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Te-Jen
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Wei J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001114:Areca; D002648:Child; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*