TY - JOUR
T1 - Prescription drug use trends among Israeli school dropouts
T2 - An analysis of gender and country of origin
AU - Isralowitz, Richard
AU - Reznik, Alexander
AU - Straussner, Shulamith Lala A.
N1 - Funding Information:
The data collection instrument used for this study, the Substance Use Survey Instrument (SUSI), consists of 31 questions about personal background characteristics, substance use patterns, and related problem behavior. Many of the SUSI questions are similar to those used for the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Monitoring the Future: Adolescent Drug Use Survey and the SAMHSA National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The instrument was developed with grant support from the U.S. Agency for International Development–Middle East Regional Cooperation Program and input from experts affiliated with universities, government agencies, and regional nonprofit organizations. Prepared in English, the questionnaire was translated to Hebrew and then back-translated. The questionnaire was examined for construct validity and reliability purposes by the Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, University of California, Los Angeles (Reiber, 2002). The instrument has been found to be reliable (Cronbach’s α = 0.93). For purposes of this study, the data were organized and analyzed in 2-year intervals. Chi-square and t test analyses were used to determine prescription drug use trends based on gender and country of origin status.
PY - 2011/1
Y1 - 2011/1
N2 - Widespread international concern exists about the nonmedical use of prescription drugs (NPD), especially among adolescents. This article examines NPD use trends of school dropouts in Israel from 2004 to 2009 based on gender and country of origin status. A cohort of 470 youths completed a self-report questionnaire prior to receiving drug treatment. Females reported NPD at a younger age than males, and their rates of lifetime use and use in the last 30 days were significantly higher. Males, but not females, from former Soviet Union origins reported a higher rate of NPD use than those of Israeli origin. Given the paucity of literature on this topic, this article makes an initial contribution to understanding a growing international problem.
AB - Widespread international concern exists about the nonmedical use of prescription drugs (NPD), especially among adolescents. This article examines NPD use trends of school dropouts in Israel from 2004 to 2009 based on gender and country of origin status. A cohort of 470 youths completed a self-report questionnaire prior to receiving drug treatment. Females reported NPD at a younger age than males, and their rates of lifetime use and use in the last 30 days were significantly higher. Males, but not females, from former Soviet Union origins reported a higher rate of NPD use than those of Israeli origin. Given the paucity of literature on this topic, this article makes an initial contribution to understanding a growing international problem.
KW - Adolescents
KW - Gender
KW - Israeli and former soviet union country of origin
KW - Prescription drug use
KW - School dropouts
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U2 - 10.1080/1533256X.2011.547753
DO - 10.1080/1533256X.2011.547753
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:79951976399
VL - 11
SP - 75
EP - 86
JO - Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions
JF - Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions
SN - 1533-256X
IS - 1
ER -