Cultural-level influences on substance use & misuse.
This presentation discusses potential associations between dimensions of culture and patterns of substance use. Several well-known frameworks for organizing cultural values and orientations are presented. As an illustration, one framework (Hofstede, 2001) is examined for its relevance in understanding national-level variations in patterns of alcohol and illicit drug use. Two of four cultural dimensions examined, individualism-collectivism and uncertainty avoidance, are found to be independently associated with one or more substance use measures in a diverse sample of 64 nations. Future multi-level analyses that integrate cultural values and orientations into empirical studies will enable more systematic assessments of the role of socio-cultural contexts in substance use epidemiology.
Johnson
Timothy P
TP
Survey Research Laboratory, College of Urban Planning & Public Affairs, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, USA. timj@uic.edu
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D012106:Research; D012945:Social Values; D012951:Socialization; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology