EFFECTS OF AGE ON PERINATAL SUBSTANCE-ABUSE AMONG WHITES AND AFRICAN-AMERICANS

This descriptive study assessed age effects on perinatal use of alcoho l, marijuana, and cocaine among African-American and white women. Data were derived from the California Perinatal Exposure Study, relying on a statistical probability sample (n = 29,494) of women who underwent anonymous urine toxicology screening in birthing hospitals. The centra l hypothesis was that there would be no difference in age effects on d rug use among white and African-American women. Marital status and pay ment source were used as risk factors in order to create detailed age- risk profiles for both racial-ethnic groups. Logistic regression analy ses were used and findings indicated that cocaine use peaked in early adulthood fur whites and in mid-adulthood for African Americans who ha d higher prevalence levels with the same or fewer risk factors as whit es. Over one third of African-American women in their mid-thirties who were not married and who had publicly assisted births tested positive for cocaine, In contrast, high risk whites had higher marijuana preva lence levels than African-American women, and prevalence increased wit h age. Alcohol prevalence increased with age for African-American and white women who were publicly assisted, but decreased with age for all others. Findings for alcohol and marijuana generally followed the sam e risk-adjusted patterns for African American and white women but with different prevalence levels; however, cocaine use had a unique patter n with higher prevalence among African-American women in mid-adulthood regardless of risk level.