Prevalence of and risk factors for substance use among Afghan refugees in Iran: An exploratory study

Afghan refugees may be a high-risk group for substance use problems. However, research is scarce in this area, specifically among Afghan refugees in one of their main host countries, Iran. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of substance use among this population and explore the associated r...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of ethnicity in substance abuse 2021, Vol.20 (1), p.34-59
Main Authors: Naseh, Mitra, Wagner, Eric F., Abtahi, Zahra, Potocky, Miriam, Zahedi, Leila
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Afghan
Drug abuse
Drug use
High risk
Households
Illiteracy
Methodological problems
Poverty
refugee
Refugees
Risk analysis
Risk factors
Risk groups
Statistical analysis
Substance abuse
Substance use
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Summary:Afghan refugees may be a high-risk group for substance use problems. However, research is scarce in this area, specifically among Afghan refugees in one of their main host countries, Iran. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of substance use among this population and explore the associated risk factors using a mixed-methods design. Findings suggest that 4.2% of the surveyed households had at least one adult member using illicit drugs. Moreover, results show that substance use among Afghans had statistically significant associations with illiteracy, lack of documentation, living in slum areas, and multidimensional poverty. Policy implications are discussed and recommendations provided.
ISSN:1533-2640
1533-2659
DOI:10.1080/15332640.2019.1571976