Citation

Verissimo AD, Gee GC, Iguchi MY, Ford CL, Friedman SR. Int. J. Drug Policy 2013; 24(4): 367-373.

Affiliation

UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, 11075 Santa Monica Blvd Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90025, United States. Electronic address: angiedenisse@ucla.edu.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.drugpo.2013.01.010

PMID

23481289

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Based on a stress-coping framework, the present study investigates the relationship between discrimination and substance use, and the moderating effects of gender. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzes data from Latina/o young adults aged 18-25 (N=401) from Brooklyn, New York. Multinomial logistic regression was used to test the association between discrimination and substance use. RESULTS: Discrimination was significantly associated with increased odds of substance use adjusting for covariates (e.g. age, education). Gender was a moderator. Discrimination was associated with increased risk of alcohol/cannabis and hard drug use among young Latina women. However, discrimination was associated with decreased risk of alcohol/cannabis use and increased risk of hard drug use among young Latino men. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that discrimination is generally associated with risk for substance use, but further that the outcomes vary by gender. Future research should explore gender-specific dimensions of discrimination and their associations with other outcomes.

Language: en