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Victoria D. Ojeda, PhD, MPH, Thomas L. Patterson, PhD and Steffanie A. Strathdee, PhD

Victoria D. Ojeda and Steffanie A. Strathdee are with the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego. Thomas L. Patterson is with the Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Victoria D. Ojeda, PhD, MPH, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Division of International Health and Cross-Cultural Medicine, UCSD School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0622 (e-mail: vojeda{at}ucsd.edu).

Objectives. We examined whether immigration-related characteristics and perceptions of risk surrounding substance use were independently associated with lifetime use of cigarettes and various illicit substances among immigrant and native-born Latino and non-Latino White adults in the United States.

Methods. Data were from the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Analyses were limited to Latinos and non-Latino Whites 18 years and older. We used cross-tabulations and multivariate logistic regression to test relations between risk perceptions, immigration characteristics, and substance use.

Results. More than two thirds of all respondents perceived moderate or great risk to health and well-being associated with all substances analyzed. The odds of lifetime substance use by Latino and non-Latino White immigrants were lower than for US-born non-Latino Whites. Immigrant Latinos’ odds of lifetime substance use were lower than for US-born Latinos. Moderate or great perceived risk was associated with lower likelihood of lifetime use of all substances except cigarettes.

Conclusions. Foreign birth appeared to protect against substance use among both Latino and non-Latino White immigrants. Future studies should examine potential protective factors, including cultural beliefs and practices, acculturation, familial ties, and social network influences.