Social Capital Influence in Illicit Drug Use Among Racial/Ethnic Groups in the United States

Abstract

Data from the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health was utilized to elucidate the relationship between individual-level social capital and illicit drug use among racial/ethnic groups. Analysis of variance indicated that Whites had different perceptions of social capital compared to other groups, in measures of social participation, neighborhood cohesion, trust, and norms of reciprocity. Logistic regression analysis showed that individual-level social capital, measured by trust and norms of reciprocity, was weakly associated with illicit drug use. However, individuals with higher social participation were less likely to have used illicit drugs ever or during the month prior to the interview. The association between social capital and illicit drug use is discussed, as well as the role of social participation in illicit drug use. Rather than an individual-level measure of social capital, future research should employ a neighborhood-level measure of social capital that aggregates neighborhood cohesion, trust, norms of reciprocity, and social participation.

KEYWORDS:

• illicit drug use
• individual-level social capital
• norms of reciprocity
• racial/ethnic groups
• social participation
• trust

Acknowledgments

In Memoriam of Bruce P. Kennedy.

The author thanks Maryann Amodeo and Myra Rosen-Reynoso for their valuable assistance in preparing this manuscript and the late Bruce Kennedy for his support.

Notes

*Participants younger than 18 were not asked the Social Environment module questions, resulting in a 33% reduction of the sample from n = 55,230 to n = 37,025.

Notes: See univariate sample description in Table 1 for full description of categories and codes.

*Difference test is significant, p < 0.000.

^a Criterion category.

*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.

*p < .001.