Immigrant enclaves and risk of drug involvement among asylum-seeking immigrants in Sweden : A quasi-experimental study
(2019) In Drug and Alcohol Dependence 205.- Abstract
Background: Sweden is a major host nation for asylum-seeking immigrants, and residential placement of these immigrants is an important policy concern. This quasi-experimental study estimated of the impact of being placed into an “immigrant enclave” on risk of officially-recognized drug involvement (ORDI) among asylum-seeking immigrants over a 15-year period. Methods: All data come from Swedish registries. The sample consisted of (a) asylum-seeking immigrants aged 5–35 years old at arrival (N = 51,017) that were subject to a nationwide policy (enforced 1987–1991) that dispersed asylum-seeking immigrants across municipalities, and (b) native-born Swedes aged 15 and older during this same period (N = 1,040,311). Neighborhood immigrant... (More)
Background: Sweden is a major host nation for asylum-seeking immigrants, and residential placement of these immigrants is an important policy concern. This quasi-experimental study estimated of the impact of being placed into an “immigrant enclave” on risk of officially-recognized drug involvement (ORDI) among asylum-seeking immigrants over a 15-year period. Methods: All data come from Swedish registries. The sample consisted of (a) asylum-seeking immigrants aged 5–35 years old at arrival (N = 51,017) that were subject to a nationwide policy (enforced 1987–1991) that dispersed asylum-seeking immigrants across municipalities, and (b) native-born Swedes aged 15 and older during this same period (N = 1,040,311). Neighborhood immigrant composition was quantified using the Reardon Index; residents of “immigrant enclave” neighborhoods (n = 960) were compared to residents of all other neighborhoods (n = 2,471). Cox proportional hazards models assessed the relationship between living in an enclave and risk of ORDI, identified by national registries, through 2015. Results: Overall, 29.7% of immigrants were assigned to, and 25.5% of Swedes lived in, an enclave. Cumulative incidence of ORDI in enclaves was 6.34% as compared to 6.89% in other neighborhoods. Immigrants living in an enclave had lower risk of ORDI (Hazard ratio (HR): 0.86, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.77 – 0.96). This protective association was marginally stronger in lower poverty areas. Native-born Swedes living in an enclave had higher risk of ORDI (HR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.03–1.08), a relationship that was exacerbated by neighborhood poverty. Conclusions: Neighborhood immigrant composition is associated with risk of ORDI, with differential associations for immigrants and native-born populations.
(Less)
- author
- Mezuk, Briana LU ; Ohlsson, Henrik LU ; Cederin, Klas LU ; Sundquist, Jan LU ; Kendler, Kenneth S. and Sundquist, Kristina LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2019
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Immigration, Neighborhood, Segregation, Substance abuse
- in
- Drug and Alcohol Dependence
- volume
- 205
- article number
- 107666
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85074496531
- pmid:31710993
- ISSN
- 0376-8716
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107666
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 35bd7f6c-2ab8-483a-91a1-bd75a2823e11
- date added to LUP
- 2019-11-15 14:02:28
- date last changed
- 2024-06-26 06:30:23
@article{35bd7f6c-2ab8-483a-91a1-bd75a2823e11, abstract = {{<p>Background: Sweden is a major host nation for asylum-seeking immigrants, and residential placement of these immigrants is an important policy concern. This quasi-experimental study estimated of the impact of being placed into an “immigrant enclave” on risk of officially-recognized drug involvement (ORDI) among asylum-seeking immigrants over a 15-year period. Methods: All data come from Swedish registries. The sample consisted of (a) asylum-seeking immigrants aged 5–35 years old at arrival (N = 51,017) that were subject to a nationwide policy (enforced 1987–1991) that dispersed asylum-seeking immigrants across municipalities, and (b) native-born Swedes aged 15 and older during this same period (N = 1,040,311). Neighborhood immigrant composition was quantified using the Reardon Index; residents of “immigrant enclave” neighborhoods (n = 960) were compared to residents of all other neighborhoods (n = 2,471). Cox proportional hazards models assessed the relationship between living in an enclave and risk of ORDI, identified by national registries, through 2015. Results: Overall, 29.7% of immigrants were assigned to, and 25.5% of Swedes lived in, an enclave. Cumulative incidence of ORDI in enclaves was 6.34% as compared to 6.89% in other neighborhoods. Immigrants living in an enclave had lower risk of ORDI (Hazard ratio (HR): 0.86, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.77 – 0.96). This protective association was marginally stronger in lower poverty areas. Native-born Swedes living in an enclave had higher risk of ORDI (HR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.03–1.08), a relationship that was exacerbated by neighborhood poverty. Conclusions: Neighborhood immigrant composition is associated with risk of ORDI, with differential associations for immigrants and native-born populations.</p>}}, author = {{Mezuk, Briana and Ohlsson, Henrik and Cederin, Klas and Sundquist, Jan and Kendler, Kenneth S. and Sundquist, Kristina}}, issn = {{0376-8716}}, keywords = {{Immigration; Neighborhood; Segregation; Substance abuse}}, language = {{eng}}, publisher = {{Elsevier}}, series = {{Drug and Alcohol Dependence}}, title = {{Immigrant enclaves and risk of drug involvement among asylum-seeking immigrants in Sweden : A quasi-experimental study}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107666}}, doi = {{10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107666}}, volume = {{205}}, year = {{2019}}, }