Jorge Villatoro

Consumo de drogas entre adolescentes: resultados de la Encuesta Nacional de Adicciones, 1998

OBJETIVO: Describir el consumo de drogas y los factores de riesgo en adolescentes de 12 a 17 anos. MATERIAL Y METODOS: Los datos provienen de la Encuesta Nacional de Adicciones 1998, realizada en hogares ubicados en zonas urbanas de la Republica Mexicana. El diseno de la muestra fue probabilistico, estratificado y por conglomerados en varias etapas de muestreo, donde la ultima unidad de seleccion fue un individuo en la vivienda. Los resultados se analizaron obteniendo los intervalos de confianza de las prevalencias del consumo de drogas, y se realizo un analisis de regresion logistica para evaluar los factores asociados con el consumo de drogas. RESULTADOS: El 3.57% de los varones y 0.6% de las mujeres habian usado una o mas drogas excluyendo al tabaco y al alcohol; 2.14 de hombres y 0.45% de mujeres lo habian hecho en los doce meses previos al estudio, y 1.4 de los hombres y 0.3% de las mujeres en los 30 dias anteriores a la encuesta. La mariguana es la droga mas usada (2.4 y 0.45%), seguida por los inhalables (1.08 y 0.20%) y la cocaina (0.99 y 0.22%) por hombres y mujeres, respectivamente. El riesgo de usar drogas se asocio con ser hombre, no estudiar, considerar facil conseguir drogas, no ver mal el uso de drogas por parte de los amigos, que estos las usaran, usarlas por parte de la familia y estar deprimido. CONCLUSIONES: El entorno que rodea a nuestros jovenes de 12 a 17 anos indica que el consumo de drogas esta cada vez mas presente. Los indices de consumo se han incrementado, especialmente en la region norte del pais y en las grandes metropolis (Tijuana, Ciudad de Mexico y Guadalajara, principalmente). Estos datos refuerzan la necesidad de desarrollar campanas que permitan detectar a los menores que tienen problemas emocionales y darles la atencion apropiada para evitar que consuman drogas como un mecanismo para enfrentar problemas de esta naturaleza. Asimismo, es necesario identificar a los menores con mayor probabilidad de desarrollar dependencia, quienes requieren de intervenciones preventivas mas intensas.

Prevalence and correlates of drug use disorders in Mexico

OBJECTIVE To describe the prevalence of drug use disorders, the correlates of drug use, and the utilization of specialized treatment services for drug users among the Mexican urban population 18-65 years old. METHODS The data were collected in 2001 and 2002 in the Mexican National Comorbidity Survey. The sample design was stratified probabilistically for six geographical areas of the country in a multistage process for census count areas, city blocks, groups of households, and individuals. The data were weighted, taking into account the probability of selection and the response rate. The information was collected using a computerized version of the World Mental Health Survey edition of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. The weighted response rate for individuals was 76.6%. RESULTS Overall, 2.3% of the population reported any illicit use of drugs in the preceding 12 months; marijuana and cocaine were the substances most often used. Low levels of education were significantly associated with use, abuse, and dependence. Use of any drug was significantly more common among those who were in the youngest age group (18-29 years), were male, or were living in the Northwest region of the country. Overall, 1.4% had a lifetime history of drug abuse or dependence, with this being much more common for men (2.9%) than for women (0.2%). The 12-month prevalence of drug abuse or dependence was 0.4% overall (0.9% for men, and 0.0% for women). The rate of treatment during the preceding 12 months for those with the 12-month criteria for abuse or dependence was 17.1%; 14.8% were seen in specialized treatment centers; 2.8% reported having attended self-help groups. CONCLUSIONS A noticeable number of Mexicans have a drug use disorder, but demand for treatment is limited, in part due to stigma. Our results indicate that there is an urgent need to organize the specialized services for persons with a substance abuse disorder according to the prevalence of dependence on different substances and the variation in prevalence in the different regions of the country.

The measurement of drinking patterns and consequences in Mexico.

The paper addresses the experiences of measuring and monitoring patterns of alcohol consumption and consequences in Mexico, provides an overview of alcohol use and problems, describes local cultural values that influence patterns of drinking, and discusses measurement implications.

Antisocial Behavior: Its Relation to Selected Sociodemographic Variables and Alcohol and Drug Use among Mexican Students

This study is part of the National School Survey on drug use by high school students in Mexico. The validity, reliability, and results of the Antisocial Acts Scale in Mexico City (n = 3,501) are discussed. Using factorial analyses of the Antisocial Acts Scale, two major sources of variability were observed. The first one is related to antisocial acts with severe social consequences, in which violence and drug selling are included, and the second one is related to thefts. Significant differences were found in the number of offenses among groups of different gender, age, and occupation during the previous year. More antisocial acts were perpetrated by alcohol and drug users than by nonusers. In a logistic regression model, it was found that the main risk factors for perpetrating antisocial acts were being male, using alcohol, and using other drugs.

Volatile Substance Misuse in Mexico: Correlates and Trends

This paper analyzes volatile substance misuse in Mexico since the 1980s. Data were collected from national household and school surveys, epidemiological surveillance systems, and studies among special populations. Volatile substance misuse begins at 12–14 years. Prevalence is approximately 1% in the general population, 7% among high school students, and higher for street children. Toluene is the main solvent used, but preferences vary within population groups. Volatile substance misuse has increased among youngsters that live in families and attend school. Marijuana and volatile substances are now the drugs of choice among Mexican female high school students. The studys limitations are noted.

Las drogas y la salud pública: ¿hacia dónde vamos?

This paper describes a plan for the attention of addictions from a public health perspective; it defines strengths of this perspective and its limitations to face the special challenges that the problem represents for social policies; adopts a wider perspective that includes the integration of health and social issues in measuring policy results having as a main aim the benefit of the person and of the communities with a perspective of the populations well being. It describes the challenge the country faces as producer, route of traffic and rates of consumption, analyzes briefly the evidence of public policies and makes a series of recommendations.

Barriers to accessing substance abuse treatment in Mexico: national comparative analysis by migration status

BackgroundWe examined Mexican migrants’ perceived barriers to entering substance abuse treatment and potential differences by gender.MethodsThis study analyzed a subset of household data collected in Mexico in 2011 via the Encuesta Nacional de Adicciones (National Survey of Addictions). A sample of 1,143 individuals who reported using illicit drugs was analyzed using multivariate negative binomial models to determine direct and moderated relationships of gender, migrant status, and drug dependence with perceived barriers to accessing treatment.ResultsSignificant findings included disparities in drug dependence by migrant status. Compared with non-migrant men, women who have traveled to the United States was associated with fewer (1.3) barriers to access treatment. Fewer barriers to access care were associated with individuals residing in other regions of the country, compared to those living in Mexico City.ConclusionsDrug dependence, gender, migration status and regional location are factors associated with access to needed treatment. Implications for health care policy to develop treatment services infrastructure and for future research are discussed in the context of ongoing drug policy reform in Mexico.

Social factors, weight perception, and weight control practices among adolescents in Mexico.

We evaluated the association of social factors and weight control practices in adolescents, and the mediation of this association by weight perception, in a national survey of students in Mexico (n = 28,266). We employed multinomial and Poisson regression models and Sobel’s test to assess mediation. Students whose mothers had a higher level of education were more likely to perceive themselves as overweight and also to engage in weight control practices. After adjusting for body weight perception, the effect of maternal education on weight control practices remained significant. Mediation tests were significant for boys and non-significant for girls.

Association between attempted suicide and academic performance indicators among middle and high school students in Mexico: results from a national survey

BackgroundStudents’ mental health is associated to academic performance. In high income countries, higher students’ grades are related to lower odds of suicidal behaviors, but studies on other indicators of academic performance are more limited, specially in middle income countries.MethodsData from 28,519 middle and high school students selected with multistage clustered sampling in the Mexican National Survey of Student’s Drug Use. Using a self-administered questionnaire, lifetime suicidal attempt and four indicators of academic performance were assessed: age inconsistency with grade level, not being a student in the last year, perceived academic performance and number of failed courses. Multiple logistic regression models were used to control for sociodemographic and school characteristics.ResultsThe lifetime prevalence of attempted suicide was 3.0% for middle school students and 4.2% for high school students. Among middle school students, statistically adjusted significant associations of suicide attempt with academic performance indicators were: not being a student the year before, worse self-perceived performance and a higher number of failed courses; among high school students, predictors were failed courses and self-perceived academic performance, with ORs of 1.65 and 1.96 for the categories of good and fair/poor respectively, compared to those who reported very good performance.ConclusionSelf-perceived academic performance was the main indicator for suicide in both school levels. Suicide prevention efforts in Mexico’s schools should include asking students about the perception they have about their own academic performance.

Social factors associated with drug use in the Mexican school-age population: a comparison of two national surveys

Abstract Objectives: This study analyses changes in drug use in Mexican junior high and high-school students and identifies differences over two decades in the social factors (availability of drugs, perceptions of risk and social tolerance) associated with such use. Method: Data from two national surveys, conducted in 1991 and 2014, were analysed. Results: Data show that the proportion of students who had tried drugs doubled in 2014. In both surveys, substance use was significantly associated with a high perception of availability and use by friends and older siblings; in 2014, there was a decrease in the perception of risk for marijuana use and an increase in social tolerance toward illegal drugs. Conclusions: It can be inferred from this analysis that public policy to prevent drug use has not had the expected impact, at least not on the social factors considered here.