An ecological analysis of the interrelationships among drug abuse and other indices of social pathology

In a study of the interrelationships among 12 separate indices of social pathology, including drug abuse, in which census tracts were the units of analysis, moderate to high intercorrelations among all indices were observed. A subsequent components-types factor analysis revealed only a single eigenv...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inInternational journal of the addictions Vol. 19; no. 4; p. 441
Main Authors Nurco, D N, Shaffer, J W, Cisin, I H
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 1984
Subjects
Crime
Ecology
Factor Analysis, Statistical
Humans
Illegitimacy
Maryland
Opioid-Related Disorders - psychology
Public Assistance
Social Environment
Social Problems
Substance-Related Disorders - psychology
Maryland
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Summary:In a study of the interrelationships among 12 separate indices of social pathology, including drug abuse, in which census tracts were the units of analysis, moderate to high intercorrelations among all indices were observed. A subsequent components-types factor analysis revealed only a single eigenvalue greater than unity, suggesting that the interrelationships among the several indices may be most parsimoniously explained in terms of a single underlying construct-generalized social pathology. Exact factor scores on this construct were computed for each tract, and those may be viewed as estimates of the degree of social upheaval present.
ISSN:0020-773X
DOI:10.3109/10826088409057194