Prevalence, Health Outcomes, and Patterns of Psychotropic Substance Use in a Chinese Population in Hong Kong: A Population-Based Study

Abstract

Two anonymous population-based surveys were conducted between August 2001 and April 2002 using computer-assisted telephone interviews of 3793 male and 3244 female randomly selected residents of Hong Kong in order to estimate the prevalence of psychotropic substance use and identify risk factors and associations with health outcomes among users in Hong Kong. The study cohort was comprised of ethnically Chinese adults between the ages of 18 and 60 years of age. In the last 12 months, 5% of males and 1.8% of females had used psychotropic substances such as cannaboids, methylamphetamines, ketamines, cocaine, opiates, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines. Of the male drug users, almost one-third had done so outside of Hong Kong. “Risk factors” for substance use included: younger age, unemployment, being an early school leaver, being unmarried, “heavy alcohol consumption,” and smoking. Psychotropic substance use in the past year was strongly associated with increased prevalence of long-lasting (≥3 months) sexual health problems during the past year and with a higher prevalence of HIV/STD risk behaviors. The prevalence of substance use in Hong Kong has been under-reported. Although significant correlations were noted between substance use and various respondent attributes, the directionality of the associations needs to be determined with longitudinal studies. It may be prudent to integrate substance use and HIV/STD prevention efforts.

Keywords:

• Drugs
• substance use
• Hong Kong
• “risk factors”
• sexual dysfunction
• HIV
• cross-border risk behaviors.

Notes

^aThe journal's style utilizes the category substance abuse as a diagnostic category. Substances are used or misused; living organisms are and can be abused. Editor's note.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

JOSEPH T. F. LAU

Professor Joseph Lau undertook his Masters and Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley. He is currently the Director of the Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. His research interests include subjects in social and behavioral medicine, such as HIV prevention, sustance abuse, child abuse, and sexual health. He has published over 140 articles on various topics.

JEAN H. KIM

Dr. Jean Kim studied molecular biology and anthropology as an undergraduate and then went on to receive her Masters and Doctorate from Harvard University where she had conducted epidemiological studies in HIV-positive populations. Her primary research interests include sociomedical aspects of the HIV epidemic, reproductive health, and adolescent health issues, including substance use. She is currently conducting research on AIDS and SARS-related issues.

HI YI TSUI

Hi-Yi Tsui is currently a project coordinator at the Center for Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She received her M.Phil. in Psychology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include AIDS epidemiology and infectious disease surveillance.