Abstract
Alcohol use among underage youth has a major impact on public health, accidents, fatalities, and other problem behaviors. In Israel, alcohol use, binge drinking, and related problem behaviors are a growing concern. The purpose of this study was to examine underserved and underreported Ethiopian origin youth by comparing their substance use patterns and behavior with other high-risk youth. Data were collected from a purposive sample of boys of Ethiopian, former Soviet Union, and Israeli origin who were receiving treatment for drug use. Youth were asked to complete a simply worded self-report questionnaire developed for monitoring substance use and related problem behaviors. Ethiopian youth reported higher rates of family unemployment and public welfare dependence, last 30-day consumption of beer and hard liquor, serious fighting, and achievement decline when in school compared with the other youths. Findings highlight the need for ethno-cultural specific prevention and intervention efforts and further research of this high-risk, underserved group of immigrant origin youth.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 179-184 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse |
Volume | 13 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 Apr 2014 |
Keywords
- Ethiopian youth
- alcohol use
- binge drinking
- substance use
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Health(social science)