Relationship between Everyday Discrimination and Substance Use among Adolescents in Northern Chile

Alejandra Caqueo-Urízar, Alfonso Urzúa, Patricio Mena-Chamorro, Jerome Flores, Matías Irarrázaval, Ellen Graniffo and David R. Williams
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Alejandra Caqueo-Urízar: Instituto de Alta Investigación, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica 1000000, Chile
Alfonso Urzúa: Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta 1240000, Chile
Patricio Mena-Chamorro: Temuco & Centro Justicia Educacional, Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de la Frontera, CJE, Santiago 7820436, Chile
Jerome Flores: Escuela de Psicología y Filosofía, Universidad de Tarapacá & Centro Justicia Educacional, CJE, Santiago 7820436, Chile
Matías Irarrázaval: Departamento de Psiquiatría, Facultad de Medicina, Hospital Clínico, Universidad de Chile & Institute for Depression and Personality Research, MIDAP, Santiago 8380453, Chile
Ellen Graniffo: Facultad de Educación y Humanidades, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica 1000000, Chile
David R. Williams: Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115-5810, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 12, 1-12

Abstract: Substance use is a public health problem that affects the normal physical, neurological, and psychological development of adolescents. Apparently, discrimination is an important variable for explaining the initiation and continued use of alcohol and marijuana. Since most research focused on discrimination based on factors, such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender faced by minority groups, studies on discrimination faced by the general population remain scarce. This cross-sectional study described the relationship between everyday discrimination and alcohol and marijuana use-related behaviors among Chilean adolescents. It included 2330 students between 12 and 20 years of age from educational establishments in the city of Arica. To evaluate substance use, specifically alcohol and marijuana, the Child and Adolescent Evaluation System (SENA) was used. The Everyday Discrimination scale was used to evaluate discrimination. Age and everyday discrimination can predict up to 11% of the variance in substance use. Reducing the incidence of everyday discrimination may help reduce heavy alcohol and marijuana consumption among adolescents.

Keywords: substance use; everyday discrimination; Chilean adolescents (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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