Race/Ethnicity and Sex Differences in Drug Use and Prevalence of Substance Use Disorder Among Adjudicated Juveniles

• In Event: Correlates and the Reasons Why People (Youth and Adults) Use Drugs

Abstract

High levels of substance abuse have been well documented among juvenile offenders, and patterns vary by race/ethnicity and sex. A sample of 5,694 adjudicated juveniles was drawn from the National Survey of Youth in Custody, 2018, to pursue three objectives: (1) to examine trends in illicit drug use, (2) to determine prevalence rates of substance use disorder (SUD), and (3) to identify racial/ethnic and sex disparities in drug use and SUD.
Method: Drug patterns and prevalence were assessed using self-reported data across 16 types, and a composite measure estimated SUD per DSM-5 criteria. Chi-squared tests on sex evaluated significant differences within race/ethnicity. Logistic regression predicted levels of SUD within race/ethnicity and across sex, adjusting for age.
Results: Cannabis was the most reported drug, followed by opiates and benzodiazepines. Non-Hispanic White and Hispanic youth reported higher levels of use across all drug categories. Except for non-Hispanic Black males, all groups met the DSM-5 diagnostic threshold for SUD. Females had more severe SUD than males.
Conclusions: Rates and types of drug used differ by race/ethnicity and vary significantly across sex. Most adjudicated youth meet the criteria for SUD, but females demonstrated an elevated risk for moderate-to-severe SUD.

Author

• Annabel Fay, University of Colorado Boulder