Measurement issues in race ethnicity and substance use

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective To investigate substance use patterns by race and ethnicity with more detail about racial and ethnic background. There are many studies of substance use and race-ethnicity, however few studies have examined a more diversified delineation of race and ethnicity. By looking more closely at racial and ethnic groups who are multiracial and multiethnic, we may gain more information about patterns of substance use among diverse groups of people in the United States. Methods We use national data sample from the United States and delineate racial and ethnic groups. Results Findings indicate that there are substantive differences in patterns of substance use among the race, ethnic and multiracial/ethnic populations in the United States. These patterns vary by substance used and strongly suggest that we need a careful assessment of the measurement used to classify individuals as racial and ethnic people in our studies. Conclusions The measurement of racial and ethnic groups should be more fully assessed since the patterns of substance vary considerably within traditionally measured racial and ethnic groups.