Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 3, 2026
05:40
The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans
Published on: April 28, 2022
3.8K
Differences in Substance Use and Substance Use Risk Factors by Asian Subgroups
Regina A Shih1, Joan S Tucker1, Jeremy N V Miles1
1RAND Corporation.
Asian American Journal of Psychology
|September 22, 2015
Summary
This study found no significant differences in alcohol, cigarette, or marijuana use among Asian American adolescent subgroups. However, variations in risk factors like expectancies and peer influence were observed, highlighting the need for nuanced prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Adolescent Health
- Substance Use Research
- Sociology of Health
Background:
- Asian American (AA) adolescents represent a diverse population with varying cultural backgrounds.
- Understanding substance use patterns and risk factors within specific AA subgroups is crucial for targeted interventions.
- Previous research has often treated AA adolescents as a monolithic group, potentially overlooking important subgroup differences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine differences in lifetime substance use and initiation of alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana among seven AA adolescent subgroups.
- To identify individual, family, and school-based risk factors associated with substance use within these subgroups.
- To explore the heterogeneity of substance use risk among Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Mixed heritage Asian adolescents.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study surveying 6th and 7th grade AA adolescents in Southern California over three academic years (five waves).
- Assessed baseline lifetime use of alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana.
- Examined substance initiation over three years and analyzed individual (expectancies, self-efficacy, intentions), family (adult/sibling use), and school (peer use) risk factors.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant differences were found in lifetime substance use or initiation rates across the seven AA adolescent subgroups.
- Significant subgroup differences emerged for negative expectancies about substance use, perceived peer use, and closest adult's substance use.
- Vietnamese and Japanese adolescents reported lower negative expectancies for cigarettes and marijuana, respectively, while Vietnamese adolescents perceived higher peer cigarette use.
Conclusions:
- Despite overall similar substance use rates, significant variations in risk factor profiles exist among AA adolescent subgroups.
- Findings underscore the importance of considering subgroup-specific risk factors for developing effective substance use prevention programs for diverse AA youth.
- This study provides a foundational understanding of heterogeneity in substance use risk within the AA adolescent population.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
547
Substance use disorders involve a pattern of using drugs more extensively than intended and continuing use despite harmful consequences. This includes legal substances like alcohol and nicotine, as well as illegal drugs. These disorders often involve both physical and psychological dependence, reflecting compulsive use of substances that significantly alter thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, contributing to a major public health issue.
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
547
01:24Drug Toxicity: Risk factors
182
Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) are potential complications that arise during pharmacotherapy, influenced by multiple risk factors. Age plays a significant role; both neonates and the elderly are at heightened risk due to their respective immature and diminished metabolic and elimination processes. Gender also impacts ADRs, with females experiencing a 1.5 to 1.7-fold greater risk than males, which may be linked to pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and hormonal differences. Notably, neonates, the...
182
01:15Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena
1.5K
Drug dependence, abuse, and addiction are complex phenomena that can precipitate various abnormal states. Physical dependence refers to a state of pharmacological adaptation to a drug. This adaptation often results in tolerance—a reduced response to the drug after repeated administrations. When the drug use is abruptly stopped, withdrawal symptoms occur due to the body's need to readjust from the pharmacologically induced imbalance. However, tolerance and withdrawal symptoms do not...
1.5K
01:27Principles of Pharmacogenetics: Types of Genetic Variants
97
The human genome is over 99.9% identical between individuals, yet genetic differences exist at millions of bases. The human genome contains approximately 3 million variant positions per individual, many of which are heterozygous, contributing to genetic diversity and individual traits. Genetic variations include single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), insertions, deletions, and copy number variations (CNVs).SNPs, the most common variation, involve single-base changes in DNA. These can be...
97
01:16Drug toxicity: Idiosyncratic Reactions
171
Idiosyncratic drug reactions represent abnormal chemical responses that vary significantly among individuals, ranging from extreme sensitivity to low doses to insensitivity to high doses. These reactions often occur due to the drug's covalent binding with serum proteins, forming a foreign hapten that triggers an immunotoxicological response. The variability in drug reactions has a strong pharmacogenetic foundation, with genetic differences crucial in how individuals metabolize drugs. For...
171
01:29Pharmacogenetic Phenotypes: Alterations in Pharmacokinetics, Drug Targets and Biologic Milieu
112
Genetic variations significantly influence drug response through pharmacokinetics, receptor interactions, and biologic milieu modifications. Pharmacokinetic alterations impact drug metabolism and clearance, affecting efficacy and toxicity. Variants in drug-metabolizing enzymes, such as CYP2C9 and CYP2C19, alter drug activation and elimination. For example, CYP2C9 loss-of-function variants require lower warfarin doses to prevent excessive bleeding, while CYP2C19 variants reduce clopidogrel...
112