Racial, Gender, Socioeconomic Disparities Seen in Teen Alcohol, Drug Screening
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Oct. 17, 2024 -- Rates of biochemical alcohol and drug screening are disproportionately higher among adolescent trauma patients who are from racial and ethnic minorities, have public or no insurance, or are female, according to a research letter published online Oct. 4 in JAMA Network Open.
Jordan M. Rook, M.D., from the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Administration Healthcare System, and colleagues used the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Trauma Quality Programs dataset (2017 to 2021) to identify 85,362 adolescent trauma patients (aged 12 to 17 years) presenting to 121 ACS-verified pediatric trauma centers. Receipt of biochemical alcohol and drug screening was compared by race.
The researchers found that 24.5 percent of adolescents underwent biochemical alcohol screening, with Black (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.08) and American Indian adolescents (aOR, 2.17) more likely to be screened than White adolescents. Similarly, Hispanic adolescents were more likely to be screened than non-Hispanic adolescents (aOR, 1.20). Screening was also more likely among adolescents who were Medicaid insured (aOR, 1.15) and uninsured (aOR, 1.13) versus those who were privately insured. Female adolescents (aOR, 1.32) were more likely screened than male adolescents. Similar results were seen for biochemical drug screening (21.8 percent screened overall), with higher screening odds seen for adolescents who were Black (aOR, 1.13), American Indian (aOR, 1.75), Hispanic (aOR, 1.20), Medicaid-insured (aOR, 1.28), uninsured (aOR, 1.18), or female (aOR, 1.28).
“Our findings indicate potential disparities in biochemical substance use screening at pediatric trauma centers,” the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted October 2024
Read this next
2000 to 2023 Saw Rise in Pediatric Exposure to Medications, Supplements
MONDAY, Sept. 8, 2025 -- From 2000 to 2023, the rate of exposure to medications, dietary supplements, and psychoactive substances increased among children aged 6 to 12 years...
First Heart Failure Hospitalization Occurs Earlier for Some Racial, Ethnic Groups
MONDAY, Sept. 8, 2025 -- First heart failure hospitalization occurs at a significantly younger age for non-Hispanic (NH) Asian, NH Black, and Hispanic adults than for NH White...
Acute Ischemic Stroke Up in Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander People
FRIDAY, Sept. 5, 2025 -- The incidence of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is higher among Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (NHOPI) individuals than among other racial and ethnic...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.