Weller Bridget E, Magura Stephen, Smith Dawn R, Saxton Matthew M, Amaratunga Piyadarsha
Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, USA.
Substance Abuse Council, Battle Creek, MI, U.S.A.
J Subst Use. 2023;28(4):541-544. doi: 10.1080/14659891.2022.2070872. Epub 2022 Apr 28.
Drug monitoring by drug testing of individuals under arrest provides an opportunity to detect drug use patterns within geographic areas. However, women have been omitted from large-scale monitoring efforts in criminal justice populations. The purpose of this study was to examine whether gender differences exist in drug use indicated by oral fluid collected in one U.S. jail.
The study analyzed data collected in 2019-2020 from individuals under arrest (N = 191). Twenty-four percent of the sample identified as female. Oral fluid specimens were collected and then analyzed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Logit regression models examined gender differences.
Women were more likely to test positive for methamphetamines than men (41% versus 22%, OR = 0.42, 95% CI 0.21-0.84). Significant gender differences were not found for other substances (marijuana, cocaine, and opioids), legality of drugs, or overall drug use.
Because the National Institute on Drug Abuse aims to promote health equity, future drug monitoring in criminal justice populations should employ sampling approaches representing both women and men. This research would identify possible gender-based patterns of drug use and inform gender-based policies and clinical practices to prevent and treat drug misuse.
通过对被捕人员进行药物检测来监测药物使用情况，为发现特定地理区域内的药物使用模式提供了契机。然而，在刑事司法人群的大规模监测工作中，女性一直被忽视。本研究的目的是调查在美国一所监狱收集的唾液样本所显示的药物使用情况中是否存在性别差异。
该研究分析了2019年至2020年从被捕人员（N = 191）收集的数据。样本中24%的人确定为女性。收集唾液样本，然后用酶联免疫吸附测定法和液相色谱/串联质谱法进行分析。逻辑回归模型用于检验性别差异。
女性甲基苯丙胺检测呈阳性的可能性高于男性（41%对22%，比值比 = 0.42，95%置信区间0.21 - 0.84）。在其他物质（大麻、可卡因和阿片类药物）、药物合法性或总体药物使用方面未发现显著的性别差异。
由于美国国家药物滥用研究所旨在促进健康公平，未来对刑事司法人群的药物监测应采用能代表男性和女性的抽样方法。这项研究将识别可能基于性别的药物使用模式，并为基于性别的预防和治疗药物滥用的政策及临床实践提供信息。
