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

Authors

Mitra Naseh, Portland State UniversityFollow
Eric F. Wagner, Florida International UniversityFollow
Zahra Abtahi, University of TehranFollow
Miriam Potocky, University of Tehran

Published In

Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse

Document Type

Citation

Publication Date

1-1-2021

Abstract

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.

Description

At the time of publication, Mitra Naseh was employed at Florida International University.

Locate the Document

https://doi.org/10.1080/15332640.2019.1571976

DOI

10.1080/15332640.2019.1571976

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/35622

Citation Details

Naseh, M., Wagner, E. F., Abtahi, Z., Potocky, M., & Zahedi, L. (2019). Prevalence of and risk factors for substance use among Afghan refugees in Iran: an exploratory study. Journal of ethnicity in substance abuse.