Age, sex, and ethnic differences in substance use and/or substance use disorders among runaway and homeless youth: a meta-analysis and meta-regression

Armoon, B, Lesage, A, Bahremand, A, Potvin, S, Mohammadi, R, Griffiths, MD ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8880-6524, Juster, R-P and Guay, S, 2026. Age, sex, and ethnic differences in substance use and/or substance use disorders among runaway and homeless youth: a meta-analysis and meta-regression. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. ISSN 1018-8827

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Abstract

A meta-analysis was performed to estimate pooled prevalence of both lifetime and current substance use and/or substance use disorder (SUD) with particular reference to differences in age group (adolescents vs. young adults), sex (male vs. female), and ethnicity (White, Black, and Hispanic/Latino) among runaway and homeless youth (RHY). Relevant studies published before August 1, 2025, were identified in the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases. A preliminary screening of 11,179 papers resulted in the inclusion of 63 studies. Males reported higher use for most substances, while females had higher rates for cocaine use, heroin use, cigarette smoking, and prescription drug use. White RHY consistently showed higher prevalence across most substances or SUD compared to Black and Hispanic/Latino youth, particularly for methamphetamine use and injection drug use. Subgroup analyses indicated that age and study publication year influenced prevalence patterns, with older participants and more recent studies generally showing higher rates of use for several substances or SUD. Findings underscore the urgent need for early routine screening and tailored prevention strategies, especially for those at higher risk (i.e., males, White RHY, and older youth). Interventions should be person-centered, developmentally appropriate, and adapted to demographic and contextual factors (ranging from harm reduction for current users to prevention messaging for non-users). Finally, tailoring approaches by sex and ethnicity may improve effectiveness, highlighting the importance of inclusive and culturally-responsive programming.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Creators:	Armoon, B., Lesage, A., Bahremand, A., Potvin, S., Mohammadi, R., Griffiths, M.D., Juster, R.-P. and Guay, S.
Publisher:	Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date:	7 March 2026
ISSN:	1018-8827
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1007/s00787-026-02986-9 DOI 2587886 Other
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Melissa Cornwell
Date Added:	18 Mar 2026 13:52
Last Modified:	18 Mar 2026 13:52
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/55439

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