Table 2.
Factors associated with intentionality of fentanyl use among PWID in New York City, 2021–2022
| Variable | Group 1 vs 2 | p | Group 2 v 3 | p | Group 1 v 3 | p | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1: Recent Intentional Fentanyl Use N = 56 | Group 2: Recent Unintentional Fentanyl Use N = 203 | Group 2: Recent Unintentional Fentanyl Use N = 203 | Group 3: No Recent Fentanyl Use N = 54 | Group 1: Recent Intentional Fentanyl Use N = 56 | Group 3: No Recent Fentanyl Use N = 54 | ||||
| Median age at baseline (IQR) | 43(12) | 52(16) | <0.001 | 52(16) | 50(17) | 0.37 | 43(12) | 50(17) | 0.005 |
| Median age of drug injection initiation | 24(8) | 27(13) | 0.04 | 27(13) | 24(12) | 0.28 | 24(8) | 24(12) | 0.58 |
| Race/Ethnicity | 0.003 | 0.11 | 0.004 | ||||||
| White | 28 (50%) | 58 (29%) | 58 (29%) | 10 (19%) | 28 (50%) | 10 (19%) | |||
| Black | 10 (18%) | 77 (38%) | 77 (38%) | 20 (37%) | 10 (18%) | 20 (37%) | |||
| Hispanic | 16 (29%) | 47 (23%) | 47 (23%) | 21 (39%) | 16 (29%) | 21 (39%) | |||
| Mixed/other | 2 (4%) | 20 (10%) | 20 (10%) | 3 (6%) | 2 (4%) | 3 (6%) | |||
| Food insecurity last 6 months | <0.001 | 0.10 | 0.15 | ||||||
| No | 10 (18%) | 85 (42%) | 85 (42%) | 16 (30%) | 10 (18%) | 16 (30%) | |||
| Yes | 46 (82%) | 118 (58%) | 118 (58%) | 38 (70%) | 46 (82%) | 38 (70%) | |||
| Kessler psychological distress | 0.001 | 0.03 | 0.45 | ||||||
| Moderate/Minor | 25 (45%) | 138 (68%) | 138 (68%) | 28 (52%) | 25 (45%) | 28 (52%) | |||
| Serious | 31 (55%) | 65 (32%) | 65 (32%) | 26 (48%) | 31 (55%) | 26 (48%) | |||
| Substance use disorder | 0.02 | 0.58 | 0.11 | ||||||
| Mild/Moderate | 0 (0%) | 19 (9%) | 19 (9%) | 3 (6%) | 0 (0%) | 3 (6%) | |||
| Severe | 56 (100%) | 184 (91%) | 184 (91%) | 51 (94%) | 56 (100%) | 51 (94%) | |||
| Psychiatric diagnosis (ever) | 0.003 | 0.85 | 0.01 | ||||||
| No | 13 (23%) | 91 (45%) | 91 (45%) | 25 (46%) | 13 (23%) | 25 (46%) | |||
| Yes | 43 (77%) | 112 (55%) | 112 (55%) | 29 (54%) | 43 (77%) | 29 (54%) | |||
| Receiving methadone treatment | 0.25 | <0.001 | <0.001 | ||||||
| Never | 3 (8%) | 32 (20%) | 32 (20%) | 28 (57%) | 3 (8%) | 28 (57%) | |||
| Previous | 2 (5%) | 10 (6%) | 10 (6%) | 2 (4%) | 2 (5%) | 2 (4%) | |||
| Current | 32 (86%) | 120 (74%) | 120 (74%) | 19 (39%) | 32 (86%) | 19 (39%) | |||
| Receiving buprenorphine treatment | 0.001 | 0.40 | <0.001 | ||||||
| Never | 19 (45%) | 129 (73%) | 129 (73%) | 43 (83%) | 19 (45%) | 43 (83%) | |||
| Previous | 21 (50%) | 44 (25%) | 44 (25%) | 9 (17%) | 21 (50%) | 9 (17%) | |||
| Current | 2 (5%) | 3 (2%) | 3 (2%) | 0 (0%) | 2 (5%) | 0 (0%) | |||
| Stimulant UT result | 0.004 | 0.24 | <0.001 | ||||||
| Negative | 5 (9%) | 55 (27%) | 55 (27%) | 19 (35%) | 5 (9%) | 19 (35%) | |||
| Positive | 51 (91%) | 148 (73%) | 148 (73%) | 35 (65%) | 51 (91%) | 35 (65%) | |||
| # of OD – last 6 months | 0.02 | 0.72 | 0.04 | ||||||
| 0 | 36 (64%) | 161 (79%) | 161 (79%) | 44 (81%) | 36 (64%) | 44 (81%) | |||
| ≥1 | 20 (36%) | 42 (21%) | 42 (21%) | 10 (19%) | 20 (36%) | 10 (19%) | |||
| HCV test result at baseline | 0.003 | 0.11 | <0.001 | ||||||
| Negative | 16 (33%) | 109 (57%) | 109 (57%) | 34 (69%) | 16 (33%) | 34 (69%) | |||
| Positive | 33 (67%) | 83 (43%) | 83 (43%) | 15 (31%) | 33 (67%) | 15 (31%) | |||
| Main drug | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 | ||||||
| Heroin | 35 (62%) | 175 (86%) | 175 (86%) | 35 (65%) | 35 (62%) | 35 (65%) | |||
| Speedball | 0 (0%) | 5 (2%) | 5 (2%) | 2 (4%) | 0 (0%) | 2 (4%) | |||
| Fentanyl | 13 (23%) | 3 (1%) | 3 (1%) | 0 (0%) | 13 (23%) | 0 (0%) | |||
| Stimulant | 7 (12%) | 15 (7%) | 15 (7%) | 16 (30%) | 7 (12%) | 16 (30%) | |||
| Other | 1 (2%) | 5 (2%) | 5 (2%) | 1 (2%) | 1 (2%) | 1 (2%) | |||
| Median years injecting drugs (IQR) | 17 (18) | 23 (21) | 0.09 | 23 (21) | 23 (20) | 0.97 | 17 (18) | 23 (20) | 0.21 |
| Median times per day injected (IQR) | 3 (2) | 2 (1) | 0.001 | 2 (1) | 2 (1) | 0.70 | 3 (2) | 2 (1) | 0.005 |
| Frequency of main drug use | 0.56 | 0.02 | 0.02 | ||||||
| Less Than Daily | 17 (30%) | 70 (34%) | 70 (34%) | 28 (52%) | 17 (30%) | 28 (52%) | |||
| Daily | 39 (70%) | 133 (66%) | 133 (66%) | 26 (48%) | 39 (70%) | 26 (48%) | |||
Tests of associations: Wilcoxon rank sum test for continuous variables. Pearson’s Chi-squared test and Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables. Significance level for post-hoc tests set at α = 0.05.