Issue 25 | 2006 |
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Estimates presented in this issue and in the full report are based on a small area estimation (SAE) procedure in which NSDUH data at the substate level are combined with local-area county and census block group/tract-level data from the area to provide more precise estimates. The same methodology is used to produce State estimates from NSDUH.1
Substate areas were developed collaboratively between staff at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and State substance abuse treatment representatives. The State officials made the final decisions on the geographic boundaries.
In most States, the substate areas are defined in terms of counties or groups of counties; in some States, the areas are defined in terms of census tracts. For each of the 22 measures presented in the complete report, estimates for the substate areas were ranked from lowest to highest and grouped into seven categories.4 By combining 3 years of data from NSDUH, substate estimates of substance use can be produced. The sample sizes in the substate areas range from a minimum of 200 persons to a high of more than 4,000 persons.
It is important to note that these estimates are based on a sample, and a different sample could result in slightly different high and low areas. For example, Wyoming's Judicial District 2 had the highest rate (13.5 percent) of alcohol dependence or abuse of any substate area in the Nation. It can be stated with 95 percent certainty that the true value for Judicial District 2 falls between 11.4 and 16.0 percent (based on the tables in the full report that include the 95 percent prediction intervals). However, note that Wyoming's Judicial District 2 may not truly have the highest rate of past year alcohol dependence or abuse, but it can be said that the probability that it is truly in the top 15 areas is 99.1 percent.
Nationally, 7.7 percent of persons aged 12 or older had alcohol dependence or abuse in the past year from 2002 through 2004. Alcohol dependence or abuse levels among all the substate areas tend to be highly correlated with levels of past month binge alcohol use (0.79).5 For binge use of alcohol, 9 of the top 15 substate areas were also in the top 15 for alcohol dependence or abuse. Those nine areas included the top six areas for alcohol dependence or abuse.
In 2002 to 2004, past year alcohol dependence or abuse varied from a low of 5.4 percent in southern Utah6 and in north central Florida7 to a high of 13.5 percent in south central Wyoming.8 (Figure 1). Of the 15 substate areas with the highest rates of past year alcohol dependence or abuse, most were in northern States in the West and Midwest (Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming). Rhode Island and the District of Columbia also were represented in the top 15. The District of Columbia, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin all had more than 1 of its substate areas in the top 15.
Only 4 of the top 15 substate areas for alcohol dependence or abuse were also in the top 15 for illicit drug dependence or abuse: the District of Columbia's Wards 1 and 2, Bernalillo County in New Mexico, and Washington County in Rhode Island. The correlation among the substate areas between alcohol dependence or abuse and illicit drug dependence or abuse was only 0.26.
Source: SAMHSA, 2002, 2003 and 2004 NSDUHs. |
Click here for the table of actual estimates for each substate region. |
The full report with estimates for 22 measures of substance use is available online at http://oas.samhsa.gov/substate2k6/toc.cfm. In addition to past year alcohol dependence or abuse, estimates are presented for 21 other measures of substance use among persons aged 12 or older, including alcohol use, illicit drug use, tobacco use, substance dependence or abuse, needing but not receiving treatment, and serious psychological distress. Also included in that report are estimates for underage alcohol and binge alcohol use. Moreover, national maps for all measures showing the 340 substate areas, detailed tables for the substate areas, and definitions and population counts for the substate areas are provided.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) is an annual survey sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Prior to 2002, this survey was called the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA). The combined 2002, 2003, and 2004 data are based on information obtained from 203,670 persons aged 12 or older. The survey collects data by administering questionnaires to a representative sample of the population through face-to-face interviews at their place of residence. The NSDUH Report is prepared by the Office of Applied Studies (OAS), SAMHSA, and by RTI International in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. (RTI International is a trade name of Research Triangle Institute.) Information on NSDUH used in compiling data for this issue is available in the following publications: Office of Applied Studies. (2005). Results from the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National findings (DHHS Publication No. SMA 05-4062, NSDUH Series H-28). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Office of Applied Studies. (2004). Results from the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National findings (DHHS Publication No. SMA 04-3964, NSDUH Series H-25). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Office of Applied Studies. (2003). Results from the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National findings (DHHS Publication No. SMA 03-3836, NSDUH Series H-22). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Also available online: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov. Because of improvements and modifications to the 2002 NSDUH, estimates from the 2002, 2003, and 2004 surveys should not be compared with estimates from the 2001 or earlier versions of the survey to examine changes over time. |
The NSDUH Report (formerly 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 report or other reports from the Office of Applied Studies are available online: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov. Citation of the source is appreciated. For questions about this report, please e-mail: shortreports@samhsa.hhs.gov. |
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