1 Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, Northwestern University , Chicago, Illinois.
2 Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University , Chicago, Illinois.
LGBT Health. 2018 Feb-Mar;5(2):95-104. doi: 10.1089/lgbt.2017.0125. Epub 2018 Jan 23.
Sexual minority men (SMM) are at greater risk than heterosexual men for misusing prescription psychotropic medications. However, community prevalence estimates of prescription drug misuse among young SMM are lacking. The current study described lifetime and past-6-month stimulant, painkiller, and depressant/tranquilizer misuse in a large, racially diverse sample of 967 SMM aged 16-29 in Chicago, Illinois, and investigated demographic and other substance use associations.
Data came from the baseline visit of the RADAR longitudinal cohort study. Associations were examined using bivariate and multivariable logistic regression.
A quarter of the sample reported ever misusing any prescription drug, and 14.2% reported recent misuse. Lifetime class-specific misuse was 16.9% for stimulants, 11.0% for painkillers, and 11.4% for depressants/tranquilizers; recent misuse was 8.0%, 5.7%, and 6.2%, respectively. In multivariable analysis, Non-Hispanic black participants had lower odds of lifetime stimulant and depressant/tranquilizer misuse and recent stimulant misuse than non-Hispanic white participants, and bisexual participants had greater odds of lifetime and recent painkiller and depressant/tranquilizer misuse than gay participants. Generally, using other substances was associated with greater odds of prescription drug misuse. Having ever been prescribed a psychotropic medication was associated with higher odds of lifetime painkiller misuse after controlling for covariates.
These results provide critical information on a growing public health problem among young SMM. Future research should explore why differential rates of misuse exist across subgroups. New interventions emphasizing the risk of prescription drugs, discouraging drug sharing, and bolstering refusal and coping skills should be developed and evaluated.
性少数群体男性（SMM）比异性恋男性更容易滥用处方精神药物。然而，目前缺乏关于年轻 SMM 中处方药物滥用的社区流行率估计。本研究描述了在伊利诺伊州芝加哥的一个大型、种族多样化的 967 名年龄在 16-29 岁的 SMM 样本中，一生中以及过去 6 个月内使用兴奋剂、止痛药和镇静剂/安定剂的情况，并调查了人口统计学和其他物质使用的关联。
数据来自 RADAR 纵向队列研究的基线访问。使用双变量和多变量逻辑回归来检验关联。
四分之一的样本报告曾经滥用过任何处方药物，14.2%报告最近有滥用行为。终生特定类别的药物滥用率为 16.9%的兴奋剂、11.0%的止痛药和 11.4%的镇静剂/安定剂；最近的滥用率分别为 8.0%、5.7%和 6.2%。在多变量分析中，非西班牙裔黑人参与者与非西班牙裔白人参与者相比，使用兴奋剂和镇静剂/安定剂的终生和近期的滥用可能性较低，而双性恋参与者与同性恋参与者相比，使用止痛药和镇静剂/安定剂的可能性更高。一般来说，使用其他物质与处方药物滥用的可能性更高有关。在控制了协变量后，曾经被开处精神药物与使用止痛药的终生滥用的可能性更高有关。
这些结果提供了关于年轻 SMM 中日益严重的公共卫生问题的关键信息。未来的研究应该探索为什么在不同的亚组中存在不同的滥用率。应该开发和评估新的干预措施，强调处方药物的风险，劝阻药物共享，并增强拒绝和应对技能。
