Substance Use Among a Sample of Foreign- and U.S.-Born Southeast Asians in an Urban Setting

• NCJ Number: 218552
• Journal: Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: 2007 Pages: 45-66
• Author(s): Frank Y. Wong Ph.D.; Zhihuan Jennifer Huang Ph.D.; Estina E. Thompson Ph.D.; Jordana M. De Leon MPH; Mansi S. Shah B.S.; Royce J. Park MPH; Tri D. Do M.D.
• Date Published: 2007
• Length: 22 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study compared substance use prevalence among foreign-born and U.S.-born Southeast Asians living in an urban setting.

Abstract

Results indicated that U.S.-born participants were more likely than foreign-born participants to consume alcohol. Additionally, all U.S.-born participants, particularly U.S.-born Cambodians and Laotians, were approximately three times more likely to have used any substance, including alcohol and illicit drugs, during the past month. Foreign-born Vietnamese were more likely than U.S.-born Vietnamese to use all substances except beer. This may be due to poverty conditions among U.S.-born Vietnamese. The data underscore the importance of three main issues: (1) the importance of examining interactions between nativity and ethnicity; (2) the need to distinguish beer from other types of alcohol due to differences in cultural meanings; and (3) the importance of using a research methodology capable of capturing additional Asian sub-groups such as Cambodians and Laotians. Future researchers are encouraged to use snowball sampling to capture Asian sub-groups not normally included in social research. Participants were 494 Southeast Asians who were recruited from the District of Columbia using snowball sampling techniques between January 2004 and August 2005. Participation criteria included self-identification as Cambodian, Laotian, or Vietnamese, aged 18 years or older, and residing in the District of Columbia metropolitan area. Participants used a self-administered AUDIO-Computer Assisted Survey Instrument available in a variety of languages to answer questions about demographic information, immigration status, U.S. experience, and substance use. Substance use included beer, wine, other alcoholic beverages, marijuana, inhalants, cocaine, crack, opium, heroin, ecstasy, methamphetamine, LSD, hallucinogens, and other drugs. Data were analyzed using a series of logistic regression models. Tables, references