May 20, 2010 |
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Combined 2004 to 2008 data indicate that almost one in four (24.0 percent) Asians reported being Asian Indian, 23.1 percent were Chinese, 21.1 percent were Filipino, 8.9 percent were Japanese, 7.7 percent were Vietnamese, and 7.6 percent were Korean.
About one fifth of Asian adults (19.1 percent) were born in the United States.4 U.S.-born Asian adults tended to be younger than those born in other countries; for example, 35.1 percent of Asian adults born in the United States were aged 18 to 25 compared with 11.6 percent of Asian adults born abroad.
Nearly one seventh of Asian adults (13.3 percent) were without health insurance, a percentage lower than the national average of 15.0 percent for adults.5
Combined 2005 through 2008 data indicate that the poverty rate among Asians did not differ significantly from the national average (11.5 and 10.9 percent, respectively).6
Among Asian adults, rates of past month alcohol use, binge alcohol use, and illicit drug use in combined 2007 and 2008 were not significantly different from rates in combined 2004 and 2005 (Figure 1).7, 8
Trend | 2004-2005 | 2007-2008 |
---|---|---|
Alcohol Use | 41.2% | 39.1% |
Binge Alcohol Use | 13.5% | 13.1% |
Illicit Drug Use | 3.0% | 3.8% |
Source: 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2008 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs). |
Combined 2004 to 2008 data indicate that, in the past month, 39.8 percent of Asian adults used alcohol, 13.2 percent engaged in binge alcohol use, and 3.4 percent used an illicit drug (Figure 2). Rates of past month alcohol use, binge alcohol use, and illicit drug use were lower among Asian adults than the national averages for adults.
Trend | Asians | National Average |
---|---|---|
Alcohol Use* | 39.8% | 55.2% |
Binge Alcohol Use* | 13.2% | 24.5% |
Illicit Drug Use* | 3.4% | 7.9% |
* The difference between Asians and the national average is statistically significant at the .05 level. Source: 2004 to 2008 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs). |
Substance use varied greatly among Asian subgroups. Past month alcohol use ranged from a high of 51.9 percent among Korean adults to a low of 32.1 percent among Asian Indian adults (Figure 3). Past month binge alcohol use ranged from a high of 25.9 percent among Korean adults to a low of 8.4 percent among Chinese adults, and illicit drug use ranged from a high of 6.2 percent among Japanese adults to a low of 2.1 percent among Chinese and Asian Indian adults.
Subgroup | Alcohol Use | Binge Alcohol Use | Illicit Drug Use |
---|---|---|---|
Korean | 51.9% | 25.9% | 5.3% |
Japanese | 48.3% | 14.5% | 6.2% |
Chinese | 41.3% | 8.4% | 2.1% |
Vietnamese | 38.7% | 14.0% | 5.3% |
Filipino | 38.1% | 15.0% | 3.2% |
Asian Indian | 32.1% | 9.5% | 2.1% |
Source: 2004 to 2008 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs). |
Among Asian adults, those who were born in the United States had higher rates of past month alcohol use, binge alcohol use, and illicit drug use than those who were not born in the United States (Table 1). These patterns held within each age group for which estimates could be generated, although not all differences were statistically significant.
Age Group | Alcohol Use | Binge Alcohol Use | Illicit Drug Use | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Born in the United States |
Not Born in the United States |
Born in the United States |
Not Born in the United States |
Born in the United States |
Not Born in the United States |
|
Total | 56.0%* | 35.9% | 22.0%* | 11.1% | 7.3%* | 2.5% |
Aged 18 to 25 | 54.0%* | 44.6% | 31.4%* | 21.6% | 12.2%* | 7.0% |
Aged 26 to 49 | 68.0%* | 38.3% | 23.3%* | 10.9% | 5.0%* | 1.8% |
Aged 50 or Older | 42.1%* | 28.0% | 8.3% | 7.4% | ** | 2.0% |
* The difference between Asians born in the United States and not born in the United States is statistically significant at the .05 level. ** Estimate was suppressed because of low precision. Source: 2004 to 2008 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs). |
Rates of past month alcohol use, binge alcohol use, and illicit drug use were considerably lower among young Asian adults than the national average for young adults (48.5 vs. 61.1 percent, 25.7 vs. 41.6 percent, and 9.1 vs. 19.7 percent, respectively) (Figure 4).
Trend | Asians | National Average |
---|---|---|
Alcohol Use* | 48.5% | 61.1% |
Binge Alcohol Use* | 25.7% | 41.6% |
Illicit Drug Use* | 9.1% | 19.7% |
* The difference between Asians and the national average is statistically significant at the .05 level. Source: 2004 to 2008 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs). |
Compared with the national averages for adult females, adult Asian females had lower rates of past month alcohol use, binge alcohol use, and illicit drug use (Table 2). This pattern held within most age groups.
Age Group | Alcohol Use | Binge Alcohol Use | Illicit Drug Use | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Asians | National Average | Asians | National Average | Asians | National Average | |
Total | 29.6%* | 48.5% | 7.7%* | 15.9% | 2.9%* | 5.7% |
Aged 18 to 25 | 43.6%* | 56.9% | 19.6%* | 33.1% | 6.9%* | 15.7% |
Aged 26 to 49 | 32.0%* | 53.7% | 7.0%* | 18.9% | 1.4%* | 6.2% |
Aged 50 or Older | 18.3%* | 40.1% | 3.1%* | 6.6% | 3.5% | 1.8% |
* The difference between Asians and the national average is statistically significant at the .05 level. Source: 2004 to 2008 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs). |
Compared with the national averages for adult males, adult Asian males had lower rates of past month alcohol use, binge alcohol use, and illicit drug use (Table 3). This pattern held within most age groups, and most comparisons were statistically significant.
Age Group | Alcohol Use | Binge Alcohol Use | Illicit Drug Use | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Asians | National Average | Asians | National Average | Asians | National Average | |
Total | 51.1%* | 62.3% | 19.2%* | 33.8% | 3.9%* | 10.2% |
Aged 18 to 25 | 53.5%* | 65.3% | 31.8%* | 50.0% | 11.4%* | 23.8% |
Aged 26 to 49 | 53.6%* | 67.4% | 18.6%* | 39.2% | 3.1%* | 11.2% |
Aged 50 or Older | 45.0%* | 54.8% | 12.8%* | 20.5% | 1.0%* | 3.4% |
* The difference between Asians and the national average is statistically significant at the .05 level. Source: 2004 to 2008 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs). |
Uninsured Asian adults were less likely than the national average for uninsured adults to have used alcohol in the past month (35.2 vs. 52.3 percent), to have binged on alcohol in the past month (18.6 vs. 33.1 percent), and to have used illicit drugs in the past month (6.6 vs. 15.1 percent) (Figure 5).
Trend | Asians | National Average |
---|---|---|
Alcohol Use* | 35.2% | 52.3% |
Binge Alcohol Use* | 18.6% | 33.1% |
Illicit Drug Use* | 6.6% | 15.1% |
* The difference between Asians and the national average is statistically significant at the .05 level. Source: 2004 to 2008 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs). |
The rates of past month binge alcohol use and illicit drug use among Asian adults living in poverty were lower than the national average for adults living in poverty (13.0 vs. 25.2 percent and 5.8 vs. 11.7 percent, respectively); the rate of past month alcohol use among Asian adults living in poverty, however, did not differ significantly from the national average (Figure 6).
Trend | Asians | National Average |
---|---|---|
Alcohol Use | 34.8% | 39.8% |
Binge Alcohol Use* | 13.0% | 25.2% |
Illicit Drug Use* | 5.8% | 11.7% |
* The difference between Asians and the national average is statistically significant at the .05 level. Source: 2005 to 2008 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs). |
Combined 2004 to 2008 data indicate that an estimated 451,000 Asian adults—4.8 percent—were classified as being in need of treatment for a substance use problem in the past year.9 This rate was lower than the national average of 9.6 percent for adults. Of Asian adults in need of substance use treatment in the past year (28,000 persons), 1 in 16 (6.1 percent) received it at a specialty facility.10 Although this rate appears lower than the national average (10.4 percent), the difference is not statistically significant.
As the Federal Government and States move forward with the interrelated tasks of reducing disparities and reforming health care, it will be important to monitor data on substance use and treatment need among racial/ethnic minorities. The findings in this report highlight variations in substance use and treatment need between Asian adults and adults in the Nation as a whole and suggest subgroups that may benefit from increased attention from the prevention and treatment systems.
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 2008 data used in this report are based on information obtained from 227,791 persons aged 18 or older, including 7,629 Asian adults. 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 the most recent NSDUH is available in the following publication: Office of Applied Studies. (2009). Results from the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National findings (DHHS Publication No. SMA 09-4434, NSDUH Series H-36). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Also available online: http://oas.samhsa.gov. |
The NSDUH 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://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 September 29, 2009. |