In response to Program Announcement #PA 93-059, a longitudinal four year research project of drug and non drug using inner city Puerto Rican women is proposed. While ultimately seeking to help inform the development of community level drug prevention and intervention programs, the present research examines more specifically individual, social, institutional and cultural factors whose influence on drug use among women has been acknowledged but is only partially explicated. A better understanding of the interrelationship between drug use and problem behaviors is also sought.
The specific aims of the study are to: 1) Identify concomitant (individual, social, cultural and institutional) factors that are associated with female drug use behaviors at baseline and examine changes in drug use and its correlates over time; 2) Assess the relationships over time between problem behaviors (criminal activity, high risk sexual activity and partner violence) and drug use among inner city drug and non drug using women; 3) Examine the impact of drug use on physical health outcomes (STDs/HIV infection, functional impairment) among drug and non drug using women over time; 4) Develop an empirical model for inner city women examining the influence of individual, social and cultural factors on subsequent problem behaviors. The following factors will be considered as mediators: drug use behaviors, social support, institutional support, and incarceration; 5) Evaluate the degree of participation of female drug users in drug treatment programs and examine the role of treatment on changing drug use and/or subsequent problem behaviors; and 6) Assess the relationship between participation in human service programs and female drug use behaviors over time. To accomplish these aims, two groups of women will be studied: a sample of 400 crack/cocaine or injecting drug using women recruited from drug copping areas and a sample of 400 community women with no drug use residing in the same neighborhood. Women, aged 18-34, will be interviewed at baseline and at two follow-ups, with twelve months between data collection periods. The location of copping areas in metropolitan San Juan has been previously identified and is updated on a monthly basis. Based on the targeted sampling strategy, copping areas will be randomly selected. Recruitment at each copping area will occur at random periods. The community sample will be selected from a random household enumeration of women residing in census blocks where the copping areas are located. Special emphasis will be placed in establishing a relationship with the community and gaining acceptance by members of the drug copping areas. Information on drug use will be assessed by self reported drug use and urine and hair screen tests for crack/cocaine and heroin. Blood samples will be tested for antibodies against HIV and syphilis. Our analytic strategies include the use of canonical correlation analysis, covariance structure analysis, log linear analysis, multivariate logistic regression and structural equation modeling.
| Alegria, Margarita; Page, J Bryan; Hansen, Helena et al. (2006) Improving drug treatment services for Hispanics: research gaps and scientific opportunities. Drug Alcohol Depend 84 Suppl 1:S76-84 |
| Alegria, Margarita; Vera, Mildred; Shrout, Patrick et al. (2004) Understanding hard-core drug use among urban Puerto Rican women in high-risk neighborhoods. Addict Behav 29:643-64 |
| Warner, Lynn A; Alegria, Margarita; Canino, Glorisa (2004) Remission from drug dependence symptoms and drug use cessation among women drug users in puerto rico. Arch Gen Psychiatry 61:1034-41 |
| Hansen, Helena; Alegria, Margarita; Caban, Carmen Ana et al. (2004) Drug treatment, health, and social service utilization by substance abusing women from a community-based sample. Med Care 42:1117-24 |
