Arfken Cynthia L, Kubiak Sheryl Pimlott, Koch Alison L
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
Ethn Dis. 2007 Summer;17(2 Suppl 3):S3-72-S3-76.
To determine the characteristics of Arab Americans receiving treatment and to compare them with individuals of other ethnic groups.
We used admission data (FY2005) for Michigan publicly funded substance abuse treatment (N=69,989). Arab American ethnicity (n=224 or 0.3% of admissions) was defined by codes for race, ethnicities or primary language of Arabic (n=21). Other ethnicities examined were American Indian, Hispanic, African American, and White.
The number of Arab American admissions was lower than expected for the population (RR=0.25). Admissions were concentrated (81%) in metropolitan Detroit as is the community (82%, RR=.99), unlike other ethnicities. Primary drugs of abuse were alcohol (34.8%), marijuana (17.9%), heroin (17.4%) and crack cocaine (15.6%). Mean duration of use (11.2 yrs) was significantly lower than for other ethnicities. Arab American admissions were predominately male (76.3%), unemployed (62.1%) and with criminal justice involvement (58%), similar to other ethnicities.
Using administrative database has its limits and may misclassify ethnicities. Based upon the available data, it appears that Arab Americans accounted for a small percentage of admissions to publicly funded substance abuse treatment in Michigan. Most of the admissions listed English as the primary language, raising concern that language may be a barrier to entry. Admission profiles were generally similar across ethnicities, except that Arab Americans were entering treatment after shorter duration of use. These data can inform development of treatment programs and outreach efforts.
确定接受治疗的阿拉伯裔美国人的特征，并将他们与其他族裔的个体进行比较。
我们使用了密歇根州公共资助的药物滥用治疗机构2005财年的入院数据（N = 69,989）。阿拉伯裔美国人（n = 224，占入院人数的0.3%）通过种族、族裔代码或阿拉伯语母语代码（n = 21）来定义。所研究的其他族裔包括美国印第安人、西班牙裔、非裔美国人和白人。
阿拉伯裔美国人的入院人数低于该人群的预期（相对危险度=0.25）。与其他族裔不同，入院患者集中在底特律大都市地区（81%），该社区也是如此（82%，相对危险度=0.99）。主要滥用药物为酒精（34.8%）、大麻（17.9%）、海洛因（17.4%）和快克可卡因（15.6%）。平均使用时长（11.2年）显著低于其他族裔。阿拉伯裔美国人入院患者以男性为主（76.3%）、失业者居多（62.1%）且有刑事司法涉案经历（58%），这与其他族裔相似。
使用行政数据库有其局限性，可能会对族裔进行错误分类。根据现有数据，阿拉伯裔美国人在密歇根州公共资助的药物滥用治疗机构入院患者中所占比例较小。大多数入院患者将英语列为主要语言，这引发了对语言可能成为入院障碍的担忧。各民族的入院情况总体相似，只是阿拉伯裔美国人在使用药物时间较短后就开始接受治疗。这些数据可为治疗方案的制定和推广工作提供参考。
