October 4, 2011 |
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Combined 2004 to 2009 NSDUH data indicate that an annual average of 1.0 million persons aged 12 to 17—4.0 percent of the total population in this age—identified themselves as Asian. About one quarter (24.2 percent) of Asian adolescents reported being Asian Indian, 19.8 percent were Chinese, 16.8 percent were Filipino, 10.7 percent were Korean, 9.9 percent were Vietnamese, 3.7 percent were Japanese, and 15.0 percent were from other Asian subgroups. About two thirds (66.7 percent) of Asian adolescents were born in the United States.3
Asian adolescents were similar to the national average in terms of age and gender distributions, as well as the percentage living in poverty.4 Asian adolescents were more likely to live in large metropolitan areas than the national average of adolescents (75.7 vs. 53.5 percent) and less likely to live in non-metropolitan areas (3.1 vs. 16.5 percent).
Rates of past month substance use were lower among Asian adolescents compared with national averages (Figure 1). For example, the rate of alcohol use among Asian adolescents was about half that of the national rate (7.4 vs. 16.0 percent). Cigarette use (3.9 vs. 10.2 percent) and marijuana use (2.9 vs. 6.9 percent) followed a similar pattern. The rate of nonmedical use of prescription-type drugs5 also was lower among Asian adolescents than the national average for adolescents (1.8 vs. 3.3 percent).
Demographic Characteristics | Alcohol Use* |
Cigarette Use* |
Marijuana Use* |
Nonmedical Use of Prescription- Type Drugs* |
---|---|---|---|---|
Asian | 7.4% | 3.9% | 2.9% | 1.8% |
National Average | 16.0% | 10.2% | 6.9% | 3.3% |
* The difference between Asian adolescents and the national average is statistically significant at the .05 level. Source: 2004 to 2009 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs). |
Among Asian adolescents, past month cigarette and alcohol use varied by Asian subgroup (Figure 2). For example, past month cigarette use ranged from a high of 6.7 percent among Korean adolescents to a low of 1.7 percent among Chinese adolescents. Past month alcohol use ranged from a high of 9.7 percent among Filipino adolescents to a low of 5.1 percent among Asian Indian adolescents.
Demographic Characteristics | Alcohol Use |
Cigarette Use |
Marijuana Use |
Nonmedical Use of Prescription- Type Drugs |
---|---|---|---|---|
Korean | 7.7% | 6.7% | 5.2% | 2.1% |
Filipino | 9.7% | 4.8% | 2.6% | 1.4% |
Asian Indian | 5.1% | 3.0% | 1.0% | 1.7% |
Japanese | 9.2% | 2.9% | 4.3% | 0.5% |
Vietnamese | 6.7% | 1.9% | 2.9% | 1.2% |
Chinese | 6.7% | 1.7% | 2.6% | 2.4% |
Source: 2004 to 2009 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs). |
Past month marijuana use and nonmedical use of prescription-type drugs also varied across Asian subgroups. Marijuana use ranged from 5.2 percent among Korean adolescents to 1.0 percent among Asian Indian adolescents, and nonmedical use of prescription-type drugs ranged from 2.4 percent among Chinese adolescents to 0.5 percent among Japanese adolescents.
Asian adolescents who were born in the United States had a higher rate of past month alcohol use than Asian adolescents who were not born in the United States (8.7 vs. 4.7 percent) and a lower rate of nonmedical use of prescription-type drugs (1.4 vs. 2.7 percent) (Figure 3). Rates of cigarette use and marijuana use did not differ significantly between these two groups.
Nativity | Alcohol Use* |
Cigarette Use |
Marijuana Use |
Nonmedical Use of Prescription- Type Drugs* |
---|---|---|---|---|
Born in the United States | 8.7% | 4.4% | 3.2% | 1.4% |
Not Born in the United States | 4.7% | 2.9% | 2.1% | 2.7% |
* The difference between Asian adolescents born in the United States and those not born in the United States is statistically significant at the .05 level. Source: 2004 to 2009 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs). |
For adolescents aged 12 to 14 and 15 to 17, rates of past month cigarette use, alcohol use, and marijuana use among Asians were lower than national averages (Table 1). Among adolescents aged 15 to 17, the rate of past month nonmedical use of prescription-type drugs among Asians was lower than the national average (2.0 vs. 4.4 percent), but the difference for those aged 12 to 14 was not statistically significant. For both genders, rates of past month alcohol use, cigarette use, marijuana use, and nonmedical use of prescription-type drugs were lower among Asian adolescents than among adolescents in the Nation as a whole (Figure 4).
Age Group | Alcohol Use | Cigarette Use | Marijuana Use | Nonmedical Use of Prescription-Type Drugs |
||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Asians (%) |
National Average (%) |
Asians (%) |
National Average (%) |
Asians (%) |
National Average (%) |
Asians (%) |
National Average (%) |
|
Aged 12-14 | 2.7%* | 6.2% | 0.8%* | 3.5% | 0.5%* | 2.0% | 1.6% | 2.0% |
Aged 15-17 | 11.5%* | 25.4% | 6.6%* | 16.5% | 4.9%* | 11.6% | 2.0%* | 4.4% |
* The difference between Asian adolescents and the national average is statistically significant at the .05 level. Source: 2004 to 2009 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs). |
Gender | Asian | National Average |
---|---|---|
Male | ||
Alcohol Use* | 7.8% | 15.8% |
Cigarette Use* | 4.6% | 10.0% |
Marijuana Use* | 3.4% | 7.6% |
Nonmedical Use of Prescription-Type Drugs* |
1.5% | 2.9% |
Female | ||
Alcohol Use* | 6.9% | 16.3% |
Cigarette Use* | 3.1% | 10.3% |
Marijuana Use* | 2.2% | 6.3% |
Nonmedical Use of Prescription-Type Drugs* |
2.2% | 3.6% |
* The difference between Asian adolescents and the national average is statistically significant at the .05 level. Source: 2004 to 2009 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs). |
The rates of past month alcohol use, cigarette use, and marijuana use among Asian adolescents living in poverty were lower than the national averages for adolescents living in poverty (Figure 5). The rate of nonmedical use of prescription-type drugs among Asian adolescents living in poverty was not statistically different from the national average for adolescents living in poverty.
Demographic Characteristics | Alcohol Use* |
Cigarette Use* |
Marijuana Use* |
Nonmedical Use of Prescription- Type Drugs |
---|---|---|---|---|
Asian | 8.2% | 5.0% | 2.8% | 3.3% |
National Average | 13.5% | 10.6% | 7.0% | 3.6% |
* The difference between Asian adolescents and the national average is statistically significant at the .05 level. Source: 2005 to 2009 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs). |
The data in this report show that certain segments of the Asian population may be at greater risk for substance use than others. For example, the rate of past month cigarette use among Korean adolescents was 3 times higher than among Chinese or Vietnamese adolescents. Although Asian adolescents generally had lower rates of substance use than adolescents in the Nation as a whole, these data highlight the importance of monitoring substance use data among the diverse populations of Asian adolescents in the United States and being cognizant not only of gender and age differences but also of cultural differences. The data also suggest specific subgroups within the Asian adolescent community that may benefit from increased attention from prevention and treatment systems. These systems will need to account for differences among and between Asian ethnic groups and level of acculturation.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) is an annual survey sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The 2004 to 2009 data used in this report are based on information obtained from 135,311 persons aged 12 to 17, including 3,763 Asian adolescents. 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 Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (CBHSQ), SAMHSA, and by RTI International in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. (RTI International is a trade name of Research Triangle Institute.) Information on the most recent NSDUH is available in the following two-volume publication: Office of Applied Studies. (2010). Results from the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Volume I. Summary of national findings (HHS Publication No. SMA 10-4586Findings, NSDUH Series H-38A). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Office of Applied Studies. (2010). Results from the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Volume II. Technical appendices and selected prevalence tables (HHS Publication No. SMA 10-4586Appendices, NSDUH Series H-38B). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Also available online: http://oas.samhsa.gov. |
The NSDUH Report is published periodically by the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (formerly 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 Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality are available online: http://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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This page was last updated on October 11, 2010. |
SAMHSA, an agency in the Department of Health and Human Services, is the Federal Government's lead agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment, and mental health services in the United States.
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