Sexual Orientation, BMI, and Methamphetamine Use Literature Review

This literature review examines methamphetamine use, a highly addictive central nervous system stimulant, and its prevalence and impact, particularly among Chicago youth. It explores the drug's history, its addictive nature, and the associated health risks, including the potential for financial and environmental consequences. The review highlights the correlation between methamphetamine use and obesity, with a focus on the brain's reward system dysfunction. Furthermore, it investigates the association between methamphetamine use and sexual orientation, noting higher rates among gay and bisexual men. The study proposes using data from the Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System (YRBS) to determine the relationship between methamphetamine use and BMI, with sexual orientation as a moderating variable. The research aims to establish whether there is an affiliation between methamphetamine use and BMI, and vice versa and whether sexual orientation regulates the association amid the use of methamphetamine and BMI. The Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) will be used to understand the behaviors associated with drug use and obesity among the youth. The review concludes by referencing key sources such as the CDC and NIDA.

Running head: METHAMPHETAMINE USE 1
METHAMPHETAMINE USE
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

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Methamphetamine Use
Methamphetamine is categorised as an illicit element. Moreover, it causes high addiction
to the central nervous system stimulant and can be administered through smoking, oral
ingestion, injection and snorting (NIDA, 2018). Methamphetamine has been reported to be
one of the most addictive substances in the US; thus one can get addicted by just a single use.
In comparison to any synthetic drug of abuse, methamphetamine is very ancient, and it was
used by the soldiers in the world II as stimulants to make them stay focused and alert during
the battle periods. During the post-war in the US methamphetamine was medically
sanctioned to in the treatment of depression thus was recommended for weight loss.
In addition, during that period the drug was used for the purposes that are non- medical.
The reason constitutes of enhancing the ability in feats of athletic completion and strength,
staying alert to study during the exam period and staying focused and alert during the long
distance drive. On the other hand, the high abuse rate in the country led the government to
regulate and restrict the use of methamphetamine by making it an illegal drug in the USA.
The extremely addictive nature of the methamphetamine can result in financial risks. Its
production causes a large amount of toxic by-product which can pollute air, food and objects
in surroundings. New users can end being killed from the exposure. On the other hand, when
meth has been injected or smoked leads to rush which results to increase in blood pressure,
heart rate and pleasure-inducing the neurotransmitters in the brain. Majority of the youth
often take repeated doses because the “high” the high of the drug usually fades quickly and it
increases the amount of dopamine in the brain.
The peak stimulating health crisis currently in the US is substance use and obesity amid
the youth. Obesity is demarcated as body mass index (BMI) which is greater than 30 kg/m2
and its prevalence rate amid the youth in the US, 2017 is 14.8%. The obesity cost of US in
2013 was $ 342.2 billion. Therefore, in 2017 the rate of obesity among the youth was 18.2%,

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16.4% in Los Angeles and 13.5% in New York (CDC, 2018). The use of methamphetamine
has been seen to propagate among the youth especially the college students. An estimate of
85% - 90% of the deaths in 2105 was as a result of stimulant drugs which involved the use of
methamphetamine, and an aggregate of 5,716 people died due to stimulant overdose.
In comparison to other major cities in the US, Chicago has the highest population rate of
people that suffer due to methamphetamine use and obesity. Therefore, the price of
methamphetamine use amid the youth in 2017 Chicago was 4.7% which is higher compared
to Los Angeles 2.7%, Miami-Dade county 4.2%, San -Francisco 3.5% and nearly doubled the
national rate which is 2.5% (CDC, 2018).
The research conducted illustrates that both drug addiction and obesity are affiliated in
away thus results in the brain's reward system dysfunction. Therefore, the impact of obesity
amid the youth was due was linked to the use of the lower illicit drugs in early adulthood. On
that note, there is an intricate association amid methamphetamine use and obesity, but it’s
still noted viable if obesity results in the abuse methamphetamine or vice versa. In addition,
another research indicated an association between methamphetamine use and heterosexual.
44.5% of the methamphetamine use was reported amid the gay and 21.8% amid he bisexual
men in contrast to the heterosexual men which is 7.7%. Nonetheless, no research has been
conducted to determine whether sexual orientation has an impact on the affiliation among
methamphetamine use and BMI.
The essential purpose of the research is to establish whether there is an affiliation between
methamphetamine use and BMI, and vice versa. In addition, the research aims to scrutinise
whether sexual orientation regulates the association amid the use of methamphetamine and
BMI. The study proposal would use data retrieved from the Youth Risk Behavioral
Surveillance System (YRBS) in Chicago. Methamphetamine use and BMI will be considered

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as both dependent and independent variables with the sexual orientation as a moderating
variable.
The most efficient model for this study research is a Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) which
elaborates the behaviour that is associated with drug use and obesity among the youth. This
concept can further be illustrated by the use of environmental factors despite not being used
during the study.
The nature of the study will utilise secondary data to understand the affiliation amid
methamphetamine use and BMI by sexual orientation. The focused population will be
Chicago youth and the data to be employed will have been collected from (YRBS) between
2007-2017. Additionally, the research conducted between 2009 -2019 was extracted to
determine the prevalence, increase rates and the pattern of substance youth amid the youth in
Chicago and also to establish affiliations and the confounding factors of the association.

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References
CDC. (2018). Compare District and National Results. YRBSS Fact Sheets and Comparison
of State/District and National Results. YRBSS Results. Adolescent and School Health.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/results.htm
NIDA. (2018). Methamphetamine. Drugs Facts. National Institute on Drug Abuse. U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/methamphetamine
.