Palestinian  adolescent  refugees  are  at  increased  risk  for  behaviors  that  can  lead  to  poor  health  outcomes,  such  as  high-risk  substance   use.   This   research   focuses   on   the   prevalence   of   substance   use   and   its   relationship   with   depression   among   adolescent   male   refugees   in   Palestine’s   North-West   Bank.   A   cross-sectional  study  was  conducted  in  five  of  seven  refugee  camps  to  gather  data  using  a  proportional  stratified  sampling  technique.    A    structured    questionnaire-based    interview    was    conducted  to  gather  sociodemographic  data,  self-reported  sub-stance   use,   and   depression   scale   information.   Additionally,   urine  screening  tests  were  used  to  detect  the  presence  of  dif-ferent  drugs  in  participants’  urine  samples.  The  final  sample  size  was  386  refugee  males;  24.0%  were  workers,  and  13.7%  worked  previously.  For  self-reported  substance  use,  26.9%;12.4%;  28.0%;  37.0%;  and  60.4%,  2.6%  of  adolescents  reported  current  users  of  cigarettes,  e-cigarettes,  waterpipe,  coffee,  energy  drinks  (ED),  and  alcohol,  respectively.  Moreover,  3.4%  tested  positive  for  at  least  one  drug.  The  drugs  that  tested  positive  were  as  follows:  PCP   (5%),   MDMA   (1.8%),   THC   (1.6%),   BZO   (0.5%),   and   MET   (0.5%).   The   adjusted   logistic   regression   showed   an   increased   risk  of  depression  among  workers  (OR  =  3.777;  p-value  =  0.008),  cigarette   smokers   (OR   =   2.948;   p-value   =   0.04),   waterpipe   smokers  (OR  =  4.458;  p-value  =  0.041),  and  coffee  users  (OR  =  2.883, p-value   =   0.046).   In   conclusion,   Palestinian   adolescent   refugees  are  at  increased  risk  for  behaviors  that  can  lead  to  poor  health  outcomes,  such  as  high-risk  substance  use,  includ-ing  illicit  drugs,  alcohol  use,  tobacco  smoking,  and  ED  intake.  The  results  of  this  study  reveal  alarming  figures  on  drug  use  associated  with  depression  in  refugee  camps  which  demand  controlling interventions.

Title

Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse COUNTRY United States Universities and research institutions in United States Media Ranking in United States SUBJECT AREA A

Publisher

Taylor and Francis

Publisher Country

United States of America

Indexing

Thomson Reuters

Impact Factor

1.3

Publication Type

Both (Printed and Online)

Volume

22

Year

2023

Pages

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