Historique
Article de Périodique
The role of community disorder in the association between drug availability and drug use: A moderated mediation analysis (2025)
Auteur(s) :
DONG, B. ;
CAMERO, B. ;
WEISBURD, D. ;
UDING, C.
Année
2025
Page(s) :
art. 112811
Langue(s) :
Anglais
Domaine :
Drogues illicites / Illicit drugs
Discipline :
MAR (Marchés / Markets)
Thésaurus géographique
ETATS-UNIS
Thésaurus mots-clés
ETUDE TRANSVERSALE
;
MARCHE DE LA DROGUE
;
DIFFUSION DES PRODUITS
;
PERCEPTION
;
ENVIRONNEMENT
;
CONSOMMATION
;
GEOGRAPHIE
;
CRIMINALITE
Résumé :
Introduction: Drug availability plays a crucial role in shaping drug use behavior. This study examines how reported drug presence, operationalized as living on a drug hot spot street, influences self-reported drug use through perceived drug availability and whether community disorder moderates this relationship.
Methods This cross-sectional study analyzed survey data from 3738 respondents residing on 449 street segments in Baltimore, Maryland (August 2013 - June 2014), categorized as crime hot spots or non-hot spots. Logistic regression models with robust standard errors estimated the direct association between reported drug presence and self-reported drug use, as well as the indirect association mediated through perceived drug availability. Additionally, a moderated mediation analysis tested whether community disorder conditioned the indirect pathway.
Results: The relationship between reported drug presence and self-reported drug use was primarily indirect, operating through perceived availability. When perceived availability was included, the odds ratio for reported drug presence decreased from 1.19 [95% CI: 1.00, 1.40] to 1.09 [95% CI: 0.92, 1.29], while perceived availability was strongly associated with self-reported drug use (odds ratio = 1.45 [95% CI: 1.23, 1.72]). However, this indirect pathway was statistically significant only in areas with lower levels of community disorder but insignificant in high-disorder settings.
Conclusions: Perceptions of drug availability significantly influence drug use behavior. While reducing perceived availability may be particularly effective in lower-disorder areas, addressing drug use in vulnerable, high-disorder settings requires a comprehensive, cross-sector approach that improves environmental conditions and addresses broader socioeconomic factors contributing to disorder and drug use. [Author's abstract]
Highlights:
Drug availability plays a crucial role in shaping drug use behavior.
Actual drug availability influences drug use indirectly via perceived availability.
The indirect pathway varies by community disorder levels.
Tailored strategies must consider social and environmental dynamics in communities.
Methods This cross-sectional study analyzed survey data from 3738 respondents residing on 449 street segments in Baltimore, Maryland (August 2013 - June 2014), categorized as crime hot spots or non-hot spots. Logistic regression models with robust standard errors estimated the direct association between reported drug presence and self-reported drug use, as well as the indirect association mediated through perceived drug availability. Additionally, a moderated mediation analysis tested whether community disorder conditioned the indirect pathway.
Results: The relationship between reported drug presence and self-reported drug use was primarily indirect, operating through perceived availability. When perceived availability was included, the odds ratio for reported drug presence decreased from 1.19 [95% CI: 1.00, 1.40] to 1.09 [95% CI: 0.92, 1.29], while perceived availability was strongly associated with self-reported drug use (odds ratio = 1.45 [95% CI: 1.23, 1.72]). However, this indirect pathway was statistically significant only in areas with lower levels of community disorder but insignificant in high-disorder settings.
Conclusions: Perceptions of drug availability significantly influence drug use behavior. While reducing perceived availability may be particularly effective in lower-disorder areas, addressing drug use in vulnerable, high-disorder settings requires a comprehensive, cross-sector approach that improves environmental conditions and addresses broader socioeconomic factors contributing to disorder and drug use. [Author's abstract]
Highlights:
Drug availability plays a crucial role in shaping drug use behavior.
Actual drug availability influences drug use indirectly via perceived availability.
The indirect pathway varies by community disorder levels.
Tailored strategies must consider social and environmental dynamics in communities.
Affiliation :
Department of Criminology, Law and Society, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
Institute of Criminology, Faculty of Law, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
Institute of Criminology, Faculty of Law, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA