Neighborhood and Individual Factors in Marijuana and Other Illicit Drug Use in a Sample of Low-income Women

Few studies have systematically evaluated whether contextual variables differ in their ability to explain the use of different drugs in the same sample. Our objective was to examine correlates of use for different illicit drugs at the individual and neighborhood level in a tri-ethnic sample of low-income women, an underrepresented sample in drug research. Women 18–31 were recruited from a low-cost family planning clinic in southeast Texas from December 2001 to May 2003. Neighborhood level indicators of disadvantage, family structure, and nativity status from U.S. Census 2000 were linked with individual survey data. Multilevel logistic regression was used to examine the effect of individual and neighborhood level measures on lifetime use of marijuana only and of other illicit drugs in 594 women. Only individual level variables (younger age, non-Hispanic White ethnicity, not being married, greater peer acceptance of substance use) increased odds of exclusive marijuana use, controlling for neighborhood level factors. However, both neighborhood and individual level variables significantly predicted other illicit drug use. Residence in less disadvantaged neighborhoods, non-Hispanic White ethnicity, higher levels of education, greater acceptance of substance use by peers, and a larger number of perceived neighborhood problems increased odds of illicit drug use. Use of other illicit drugs with or without marijuana may be more closely tied to area level factors whereas factors driving exclusive marijuana use may not rely on localized structures to the same extent. Thus, community-level interventions may need to customize their approaches according to the type of drug use targeted. The implication of using neighborhood level variables in substance use research is also discussed.