Influence of Prevalence of Psychoactive Substance Use in Mexican Municipalities on Early Childhood Development

Francisco-Javier Prado-Galbarro, Copytzy Cruz-Cruz, Jorge-Ameth Villatoro-Velázquez and Juan-Manuel Martínez-Núñez
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Francisco-Javier Prado-Galbarro: Orphan Drugs Laboratory, Department of Biological Systems, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Campus Xochimilco, Mexico City 04960, Mexico
Copytzy Cruz-Cruz: Orphan Drugs Laboratory, Department of Biological Systems, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Campus Xochimilco, Mexico City 04960, Mexico
Jorge-Ameth Villatoro-Velázquez: Direction of Epidemiological and Psychosocial Research, Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz National Institute of Psychiatry, Mexico City 14370, Mexico
Juan-Manuel Martínez-Núñez: Orphan Drugs Laboratory, Department of Biological Systems, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Campus Xochimilco, Mexico City 04960, Mexico

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 19, 1-13

Abstract: Children’s early development is influenced by characteristics of the child, family, and environment, including exposure to substance abuse. The aim was to examine the association of early childhood development (ECD) with the prevalence of psychoactive substance use in Mexican municipalities. We obtained ECD data from the 2015 Survey of Boys, Girls, and Women (ENIM, for its Spanish acronym), measured with the ECD Index. The prevalence of psychoactive substance use was estimated at the municipal level, using the 2016 National Survey of Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco Use (ENCODAT, for its Spanish acronym). Multilevel logistic models were fitted to evaluate the association between drug use and inadequacies in ECD overall and in four specific ECD domains: socio-emotional, literacy-numeric, learning, and physical. Inadequate ECD was directly associated with illegal drug use (OR = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.17). For the specific ECD domains, inadequate socio-emotional development was directly associated with illegal drug use (OR = 1.08; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.15). These findings suggest that exposure to illegal drug use may influence ECD, and especially can lead to socio-emotional problems, although this cannot be considered the unanimous determinant of the problems presented. The implementation of evidence-based interventions to prevent drug abuse is necessary.

Keywords: child development; child welfare; drug use; neighborhoods; Mexico (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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