Probing the Meaning of Racial/Ethnic Group Comparisons in Crack Cocaine Smoking

摘要: Objective. —To probe the meaning of reported racial and ethnic group differences in prevalence crack cocaine smoking to estimate degree which is associated with personal factors specific race/ ethnicity. Design. —Through reanalysis data from 1988 National Household Survey Drug Abuse (NHSDA), we compared racial/ethnic smoking. To hold constant social environmental risk that might potentially confound comparisons, used an epidemiologic strategy involves poststratification respondents into neighborhood sets. A conditional logistic regression model was relative odds use by race/ethnicity. Patients or Other Participants. —The NHSDA interviewed 8814 individuals residing within households United States. Subjects were selected using a multistage area probability sampling all residents aged 12 years older. Results. —Once grouped clusters, (RO) did not differ significantly for African Americans (RO, 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.37 1.93) Hispanic 0.88; CI, 0.47 1.67) white Americans. Conclusion. —Findings race-associated are often presented as if person's race has intrinsic explanatory power. This analysis provides evidence that, given similar conditions, does strongly depend on race-specific (eg, biologic) factors. Although study finding refute previous analysis, it estimates unadjusted may lead misunderstanding about role ethnicity epidemiology use. Future research should seek identify characteristics environment important modifiable determinants drug (JAMA. 1993;269:993-997)