ABSTRACT
This study shows the important link between higher drug use and self-medication among youth with higher reported posttraumatic stress reactions after natural disasters. The study offers secondary analysis of cross-sectional data collected on 170 predominately African American males through the Fifth Ward Enrichment program (FWEP) in Houston, Texas, between November and December 2009. Men who stated that in the last week they tried to keep from thinking or talking about the hurricane or things that remind them of what happen were significantly more likely to use alcohol (p < .05), marijuana (p < .01), codeine cough syrup (p < .00), anti-energy drinks (p < .00), crystal methamphetamines (p < .00), and Viagra (p < .00). Unadjusted logistic regression showed that they also experienced over twice the odds of reporting past 30 day use of alcohol (OR = 2.57, 95% CI = .98, 6.8), marijuana (OR = 4.31, 95% CI = 1.2, 15.3), codeine cough syrup (OR = 5.22, 95% CI = 1.4, 19.5), and anti-energy drinks (OR = 3.27, 95% CI = 1.0, 1.4). Adjusted logistic regression revealed that male youth post-traumatic stress reaction is a significant predictor of marijuana use (OR = 4.1, 95% CI = 1.0, 16.5). This study shows the important link of higher drug use and self-medication among youth with higher reported posttraumatic stress reactions after natural disasters.
Subject(s)
Disasters , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/complications , Substance-Related Disorders/epidemiology , Adolescent , Black or African American/psychology , Black or African American/statistics & numerical data , Child , Cross-Sectional Studies , Cyclonic Storms , Data Collection , Humans , Logistic Models , Male , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology , Substance-Related Disorders/etiology , Texas/epidemiology , Young AdultABSTRACT
Modified disodium cromoglycate powders were prepared by co-spray drying with different concentrations of leucine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, methionine, asparagine, and arginine. Amorphous spherical particles of the same size and density where obtained which, however, exhibited different surface properties as measured by the inverse gas chromatography (IGC) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. The surface energy parameters, such as the dispersive component of surface free energy of the sample, gammaSD, and the total solubility parameter, delta, were significantly lower in the presence of nonpolar chain amino acids, particularly with leucine and phenylalanine, than pure DSCG. However no quantitative relationship between these parameters, the additive concentrations, and the fine particle fractions, FPF, determined for different inhalers and air flow rates, was observed. The FPF significantly increased with addition of leucine and this effect was attributed to reduced intermolecular interactions between leucine and disodium cromoglycate molecules, as indicated by the difference in corresponding Hansen solubility parameters. Decrease of interparticle interactions for leucine-containing powders also led to a lesser dependence of FPF on the flow rate and inhaler type.
