November 1, 2002 |
Illicit Drug Use among Hispanic Females |
In Brief |
|
The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) asks respondents aged 12 or older about their use of illicit drugs during the month prior to the survey interview. "Any illicit drug" refers to marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack), inhalants, hallucinogens, heroin, or any prescriptiontype drugs used nonmedically. The survey also asks females aged 15 to 44 about their pregnancy status at the time of the interview. Data were analyzed by race and ethnic subgroups and by geographic region for comparative purposes.1 Findings for subgroups of Hispanic and nonHispanic females are annual averages based on combined data from the 1999, 2000, and 2001 NHSDAs.2 |
Prevalence of Illicit Drug Use among Hispanic Females In 2001, there were an estimated 25 million Hispanics aged 12 or older in the United States, 13 million of whom were female. Hispanic females (5 percent) were less likely than Hispanic males (8 percent) to use illicit drugs during the past month. Among females aged 12 or older, rates were similar for Hispanic and nonHispanic females (6 percent). During 19992001, the annual average rate of past month any illicit drug use was higher among Puerto Rican or Mexican females compared with Central or South American or Cuban females (Figure 1). |
Figure 1. Percentages of Hispanic Females Aged 12 or Older Reporting Past Month Any Illicit Drug Use,* by Ethnic Subgroup: 1999, 2000, and 2001 Figure 2. Percentages of Females Aged 12 or Older Reporting Past Month Any Illicit Drug Use,* by Race/Ethnicity** and Age Group: 1999, 2000, and 2001
Age Differences Among Hispanic and nonHispanic females, youths aged 12 to 17 and young adults aged 18 to 25 were more likely than older adults aged 26 or older to use any illicit drug during the past month (Figure 2). Among nonHispanic females, the rate was higher for those aged 18 to 25 compared with the rate for 12 to 17 year olds. Rates of any illicit drug use during the past month were similar among Hispanic and nonHispanic females aged 12 to 17, but older Hispanic females were less likely than their nonHispanic peers to use any illicit drug during the same time period. |
Geographic Differences During 19992001, Hispanic females from the Midwest (8 percent) were more likely than those from the South (3 percent) or West (5 percent) to report past month use of any illicit drug. Among nonHispanic females, however, the rate was higher in the West (6 percent) relative to the other regions (5 percent each). |
County Type Among females living in counties in large metropolitan areas, Hispanics were less likely to use an illicit drug during the past month than were nonHispanics (Figure 3).3 In counties in nonmetropolitan areas, this relationship was reversed; Hispanic females were more likely to use an illicit drug during the past month than their nonHispanic peers. |
Illicit Drug Use among Pregnant Females4 The annual average rate of past month any illicit drug use was lower among Hispanic pregnant females aged 15 to 44 (3 percent) relative to nonpregnant Hispanic females aged 15 to 44 (6 percent) (Figure 4). A similar finding was observed for nonHispanic females (4 percent among pregnant vs. 9 percent among nonpregnant). |
Figure 3. Percentages of Females Aged 12 or Older Reporting Past Month Any Illicit Drug Use,* by Race/Ethnicity** and County Type: 1999, 2000, and 2001 Figure 4. Percentages of Females Aged 15 to 44 Reporting Past Month Any Illicit Drug Use,* by Race/Ethnicity** and Pregnancy Status: 1999, 2000, and 2001
End Notes
|
Figure Notes Source (all figures): SAMHSA, 19992001 NHSDAs. * "Any illicit drug" refers to marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack), inhalants, hallucinogens, heroin, or any prescriptiontype drugs used nonmedically. ** Includes white, black, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, or more than one race. |
The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) is an annual survey sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The 1999, 2000, and 2001 data are based on information obtained from 207,470 persons aged 12 or older (about 70,000 each year), of which 13,422 were Hispanic females aged 12 or older. The survey collects data by administering questionnaires to a representative sample of the population through facetoface interviews at their place of residence.
The NHSDA Report is prepared by the Office of Applied Studies (OAS), SAMHSA, and by RTI in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Information and data for this issue are based on the following publication and statistics: Office of Applied Studies. (2000). Summary of findings from the 1999 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (DHHS Publication No. SMA 003466, NHSDA Series: H12). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Office of Applied Studies. (2001). Summary of findings from the 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (DHHS Publication No. SMA 013549, NHSDA Series: H13). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Office of Applied Studies. (2002). Results from the 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse: Volume I. Summary of national findings (DHHS Publication No. SMA 023758, NHSDA Series H17). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Also available online: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/nsduh.htm. Additional tables available upon request. |
The NHSDA Report is
published periodically by the Office of Applied
Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA). All material appearing in this report is in the public domain
and may be reproduced or copied without permission from SAMHSA.
Additional copies of this fact sheet may be downloaded from http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/facts.cfm.
Citation of the source is appreciated.
Other reports from the Office of Applied Studies are also available on-line on the OAS home page: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov |
This page was last updated on June 16, 2008. |
* Adobe™ PDF and MS Office™ formatted files require software viewer programs to properly read them.
Click here to download these FREE programs now
Highlights | Topics | Data | Drugs | Pubs | Short Reports | Treatment | Help | OAS |