Cocaine use and characteristics of young adult users from 1987 to 1992: The CARDIA study

Objectives. This study examined the relationship of sociodemographic factors and use of substances other than cocaine to cocaine use from 1987 to 1992 in a cohort of Black and White men and women 20 to 32 years of age. Methods. Data were collected as part of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study. Self-reported cocaine use was analyzed through chi-square tests and repeated measures analyses of variance to determine the bivariate and multivariate relationships of sociodemographics and substance use behaviors to cocaine use over the 5-year period. Results. Cocaine use declined in Whites but remained stable in Blacks from 1987 to 1992. Cross-sectional results showed that use was related to being Black, male and in the older half of the cohort, single, and unemployed; it was also related to higher levels of other substance use in 1987 and 1992. Over time, the magnitude and strength of the relationship were consistent for each variable except for increased odds of cocaine use among the unemployed and Blacks in 1992. Conclusions. Sociodemographic characteristics and substance use behavior consistently identify individuals at risk for cocaine use. As a result, intervention programs should be targeted at these high-risk groups.