NCJ Number
236023
Journal
Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse Volume: 10 Issue: 2 Dated: April - June 2011 Pages: 91-111
Date Published
June 2011
Length
21 pages
Annotation
Data from the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health was utilized to elucidate the relationship between individual-level social capital and illicit drug use among racial/ethnic groups.
Abstract
Analysis of variance indicated that Whites had different perceptions of social capital compared to other groups, in measures of social participation, neighborhood cohesion, trust, and norms of reciprocity. Logistic regression analysis showed that individual-level social capital, measured by trust and norms of reciprocity, was weakly associated with illicit drug use. However, individuals with higher social participation were less likely to have used illicit drugs ever or during the month prior to the interview. The association between social capital and illicit drug use is discussed, as well as the role of social participation in illicit drug use. Rather than an individual-level measure of social capital, future research should employ a neighborhood-level measure of social capital that aggregates neighborhood cohesion, trust, norms of reciprocity, and social participation. (Published Abstract)