Browsing by Author "Howard, Matthew O"
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Item Open Access Inhalant use among incarcerated adolescents in the United States: prevalence, characteristics, and correlates of use.(Drug and alcohol dependence, 2008-03) Howard, Matthew O; Balster, Robert L; Cottler, Linda B; Wu, Li-Tzy; Vaughn, Michael GOBJECTIVE: To characterize patterns and correlates of inhalant use among incarcerated youth. METHOD: Residents (N=723) of 27 Missouri Division of Youth Services facilities completed interviews assessing substance use, psychiatric symptoms, antisocial traits, trauma, suicidality, and criminality. RESULTS: Participants averaged 15.5 (S.D.=1.2) years of age, were ethnically diverse, and predominantly male. More than one-third (36.9%) reported lifetime inhalant use; 47.9% of users had tried four or more inhalant products. Comparatively high rates of use were observed for Hispanic and small town/rural youth. Commonly abused agents included gasoline (22%), permanent markers (15%), computer "air duster," (15%) and spray paint (12%). Inhalant users evidenced significantly higher levels of criminal behavior, antisocial attitudes, current psychiatric symptoms, earlier onset of offending and substance use, and more extensive histories of head injury, kidney disease, hormonal problems, mental illness, suicidality, trauma, and substance-related problems than nonusers. In multiple logistic regression models, race/ethnicity, geographic area of residence, fearlessness, suicidality, and polydrug use distinguished inhalant users and nonusers. Measures of cognitive impairment, impulsivity, fearlessness, blame externalization, polydrug use, and substance-related problems were positively associated with lifetime frequency of inhalant use. CONCLUSIONS: Inhalant use was widespread in this sample and associated with serious physical and mental health impairments.Item Open Access Is inhalant use a risk factor for heroin and injection drug use among adolescents in the United States?(Addictive behaviors, 2007-02) Wu, Li-Tzy; Howard, Matthew OWe examined whether inhalant use was associated with heroin and injection drug use (IDU) among adolescents aged 12 to 17 in the United States.Data were drawn from the 2002/2003 administrations of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). We conducted logistic regression analyses to estimate associations of inhalant use with heroin use, heroin injection, and IDU, respectively, among adolescent drug users (N=8161).Approximately 30.9% of adolescents had ever used at least one illicit drug. More than one-fifth (22.2%) of adolescents were past-year or recent drug users. Among past-year adolescent drug users, 1.4% had progressed to heroin use and 1.2% reported IDU. Adolescents who had used inhalants and marijuana were 2.8 and 2.9 times as likely as adolescents who had used marijuana but not inhalants to report heroin use and any IDU, respectively. Adolescents who had used inhalants or other drugs but not marijuana were unlikely to use heroin. However, inhalant users, irrespective of their marijuana use histories, had greater odds of IDU than drug users who had not used inhalants. Adolescent drug users who were females, school dropouts, whites, or delinquents had significantly increased odds of heroin use and IDU. Cigarette smoking before the age of 15 was strongly associated with heroin use, and a history of foster care placement was associated with IDU.This national study of American adolescents identifies several subgroups of recent drug users, such as females, school dropouts, and youth who have used inhalants and marijuana, which have substantially increased odds of heroin use and IDU. Screening, prevention, and treatment interventions targeted to these groups might reduce medical and social complications of heroin use and IDU.