Substance use and socio-demographic factors among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander school students in New South Wales

Abstract

Objective: To estimate prevalence rates of substance use and associated socio-demographic factors among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) secondary students. Method: This paper presents ATSI data from population-based school surveys conducted in 1996, 1992 and 1989 in New South Wales and replicates identical analysis using the three datasets. Results: The proportion of ATSI students in each survey ranged from 2.5% to 3.8%. After adjusting for age, gender and socio-demographic factors, ATSI students were more likely to smoke cigarettes, and to have tried cannabis and other illicit substances. Conclusions: This study suggests that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students were more susceptible to, and maintained a higher rate of, substance use than non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth. Socio-demographic differences between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students in age, rural/urban status, living with both parents, reporting poor school performance, low parental supervision and high school absenteeism remained significantly associated with Aboriginal status and substance use. Implications: This is one of the first studies examining substance use in a large and representative sample of in-school ATSI youth. These results provide information useful for public health advocates, and require policy changes more likely to reduce substance use among ATSI youth.