title: Correlates of drug dealing in female methamphetamine users.
abstract: Female drug dealers have been a neglected population despite their potentially elevated risk for social, legal, family, and psychological health problems. This study examined correlates of drug-dealing behavior in a sample of 209 female methamphetamine users in San Diego, CA. Twenty-five percent of the sample reported dealing methamphetamine in the past 2 months. Women who dealt methamphetamine were significantly more likely than their nondealing counterparts to have started using illicit drugs before the age of 13 years (68 % versus 44.7 %, p = .003); to have been introduced to methamphetamine by a parent (15.1 % versus 5.8 %, p = .037); and to report currently using methamphetamine to stay awake (84.9 % versus 64.7 %, p = .004), enhance self-confidence (62.3 % versus 45.5 %, p = .025), and feel more attractive (54.7 % versus 38.5 %, p = .029). In a multivariate logistic regression, factors independently associated with methamphetamine dealing were: having a spouse or live-in partner (Adjusted Odds Ratio, AOR = 2.89), using methamphetamine with a broader range of types of person (AOR = 1.46), and reporting lower levels of emotional support (AOR = 0.57). These findings suggest that female methamphetamine dealers are in urgent need of access to substance use treatment, therapies to enhance self-worth and emotional support, and family-based substance use prevention interventions for dependent children and those at risk.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors: Shirley J
authors: SJ
authors: Semple
authors: Steffanie A
authors: SA
authors: Strathdee
authors: Jim
authors: J
authors: Zians
authors: Thomas L
authors: TL
authors: Patterson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D058999:Drug-Seeking Behavior; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D017533:Marital Status; D008694:Methamphetamine; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents; D012944:Social Support; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D008694:Methamphetamine