Substance use, age at migration, and length of residence among adult Caribbeans in the United States

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of substance use disorders and determine whether age at migration and time predict these behaviors using the National Survey of American Lives (n=1,370). DESIGN AND METHODS: Multivariable logistic regression analyses controlling for potential confounders were used. RESULTS: Individuals that immigrated to the US were less likely to be diagnosed with a substance use disorder compared to those that immigrated when they were less than 13 years old. On the other hand, migrants that spent 10-20 years in the US were less likely to be diagnosed with a substance use disorder compared to those that spend 1-10 years in the US; however, those migrants that spent more than 20 years in the US were 3-9 times more likely to be diagnosed with a substance use disorder. CONCLUSION: As suggested, age at migration and length of residence are important factors because they shape immigrants’ abilities to socialize and respond to the potentially conflicting demands of the host culture, and in this case, more likely to engage in problematic substance use patterns. Public health professionals must consider the heterogeneity among Blacks in the US as they attempt to reduce and/or eliminate racial/ethnic disparities in substance use.