NURSES' USE OF ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS: FINDINGS FROM A NATIONAL PROBABILITY SAMPLE

Abstract

This study examined the prevalence of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use among nurses in the 1984 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) using methods similar to those employed in a study comparing nurses and nonnurses from the 1980–1984 Epidemiological Catchment Area program (ECA). Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the degree to which AOD use was associated with occupation. Results indicating that substance use is unrelated to occupation lend support to earlier findings from the ECA.

• Nurses
• Substance abuse
• Drug use

RESUMEN

En el estudio hecho en 1984 por Las Encuestas Longitudinales de la Juventud (con siglas en ingles NLSY), se examino la prevalecencia del alcohol y el uso de drogas entre enfermeras. En este estudio se usaron métodos similares a los empleados en otro estudio donde se comparo a enferm´eras y no enfermeras, en el programa del Area de Captación Epidemiológica (con siglas en ingles ECA). Regresión logística conditional se uso para estimar el grado en el cual alcohol y otro uso de drogas estaba asociado con su profesión. Los resultados indicaron que el abuso de substancias no esta relacionado a la profesión como se encontró en estudios preliminares hechos por el ECA.

RÉSUMÉ

Cette étude a examiné la prédominance de l'usage d'alcool et d'autres drogues (AOD) parmi les infirmières dans le cadre de l'Etude longitudinale nationale de la jeunesse (NLSY) de 1984 utilisant des méthodes similaire à celles employées dans une étude comparant des infirmières et non-infirmières dans le programme du Bassin de captation épidemiologique (ECA) de 1980–1984. Régression logistique conditionnelle a été utilisée pour estimer le degré auxquel l'usage d'AOD a été associé à l'occupation professionelle. Des résultats indiquant que l'abus des substances est indépendant de l'occupation professionelle prêtent le support aux résultats préalables obtenus par ECA.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tonda L. Hughes

Tonda L. Hughes, Ph.D., FAAN, is Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health, Mental Health and Administrative Nursing at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Prior to coming to UIC, Dr. Hughes taught in Colleges of Nursing at Eastern Kentucky University and the University of Kentucky. She completed a National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Prevention Research Center in the School of Public Health at UIC, where she focused on gender differences in alcohol and other drug use. Dr. Hughes coordinates the graduate program in psychiatric nursing and teaches courses in women's health at UIC. Her primary expertise and research interests focus on women's use of alcohol and other drugs.

Marion J. Howard

Marion Howard, Ph.D., RN, is Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Public Health, Mental Health and Administrative Nursing at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), but is currently on disability leave. While at UIC Dr. Howard taught general concepts of psychiatric nursing with emphasis on aging and stress.

David Henry

David Henry, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Psychology at the Institute for Juvenile Research in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Henry is the methodologist for the Families and Communities Research Group, whose research focuses on the prevention of antisocial and high-risk behavior in children.