What is the alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevalence among culturally and linguistically diverse groups in the Australian population? A national study of prevalence, harms, and attitudes

Abstract

In Australia, one in three people are born overseas, and one in five households speak languages other than English. This study explores substance use prevalence, related harms, and attitudes among these large groups in the population. Analysis was conducted using cross-sectional data (N = 22, 696) from the 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey. General linear model and binary logistic regression were used to assess substance use and harms, using stabilized inverse propensity score weighting to control for potential confounding variables. Between culturally and linguistically diverse populations and the population born in Australia, United Kingdom, or New Zealand who speak only English at home, there is no statistically significant variation in the likelihood of current smoking; using analgesics, tranquilizers, or sleeping pills; or administering drugs via injection. Culturally diverse populations are less likely to drink alcohol or use cannabis or methamphetamines. No difference between these two major groups in the population is observed in substance-related abuse from strangers; but culturally diverse respondents are less likely to report substance-related abuse from known persons. Lower substance use prevalence is not observed among people from culturally diverse backgrounds who have mental health issues. Australian-, UK-, or New Zealand-born respondents who speak only English at home are more likely to oppose drug and tobacco policies, including a range of harm reduction policies. We discuss the practical and ethical limitations of this major Australian data set for examining the burden of drug-related harms experienced by specific migrant populations. Avenues for potential future research are outlined.

The effectiveness of living well multicultural‐lifestyle management program among ethnic populations in Queensland, Australia

“…The significant amount of missing data related to smoking and alcohol consumption makes it difficult to draw any conclusions regarding the effectiveness of the programme on these behaviours. Recent analysis of the Australian National Drug Strategy Household Survey (2013) indicated 11% of CALD adults were drinking alcohol and of these 8.3% presented with a high risk of alcohol‐related harm 48 . Only 13% of the same sample identified as daily smokers 48 .…”

“…Recent analysis of the Australian National Drug Strategy Household Survey (2013) indicated 11% of CALD adults were drinking alcohol and of these 8.3% presented with a high risk of alcohol‐related harm 48 . Only 13% of the same sample identified as daily smokers 48 . There is potentially a strong social desirability bias with respect to alcohol consumption and smoking especially in communities where these practices are proscribed by religion or culture.…”

Modifiable Risk Factors for Dementia Among Migrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Australia: A Systematic Review

“…Samples varied from medium-sized (n = 225) [29] to very large (n = 266,848) [81]. The prevalence of alcohol use ranged from 6.1% among Vietnamese-born [29] to 89.0% among 22,696 non-Indigenous Australians [105]. Seven studies found foreign-born participants had a lower prevalence of alcohol consumption compared to non-immigrant Australians [20,40,70,75,82,91,105] (Fig.…”

Addressing alcohol and other drug use among young people from migrant and ethnic minority backgrounds: Perspectives of service providers in Melbourne, Australia

“…Evidence suggests that adults from migrant backgrounds are less likely to consume AOD than the broader population (Donato-Hunt et al, 2012;Rowe et al, 2018). In the Australian National Drug Strategy Household survey, adults who were born in Anglo-dominated countries, who spoke English-only at home reported a higher prevalence of AOD use than participants classified as culturally and linguistically diverse (Rowe et al, 2018). However, large surveillance surveys typically have an under-representation of people from migrant and ethnic minority backgrounds, thus our understanding of AOD use among these groups remains limited.…”