Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Jul 1.
Published in final edited form as: Am J Addict. 2010 Jul-Aug;19(4):357–363. doi: 10.1111/j.1521-0391.2010.00053.x

Table 1.

Factors associated with seeking injection assistance* among IDUs in Tijuana, Mexico

Baseline Characteristics Sought
Injection
Assistance*
N=260
Did Not Seek
Injection
Assistance*
N=796
Univariate
Odds Ratio
95%
Confidence
Interval
Sociodemographics
Median (IQR) and mean (SD) age (per
year)
35 (30-42)
36.6 (8.9)
37 (31-42)
37.3 (8.2)
0.99 0.97-1.01
Female ** 62 (24%) 96 (12%) 2.28 1.60-3.26
Median (IQR) years of education
completed
7 (6-9) 8 (6-9) 0.99 0.95-1.03
Hispanic/Latino * 252 (97%) 788 (99%) 0.27 0.09-0.82
Speaks some English 118 (45%) 392 (49%) 0.86 0.65-1.13
Average monthly income ≥3000 pesos 172 (68%) 540 (69%) 0.94 0.69-1.27
Married/common-law 83 (32%) 247 (31%) 1.04 0.77-1.41
Social Influence
Sex partner is an IDU a b ** 12 (6%) 13 (2%) 3.22 1.44-7.18
Median (IQR) IDUs in social network (per
10 people) **
9 (4.8-20) 7 (4-12) 1.01 1.00-1.01
High perceived risk of HIV infection
compared to others
109 (43%) 352 (45%) 0.94 0.71-1.25
Median (IQR) HIV positive people known
personally **
1 (0-3) 0 (0-2) 1.02 0.99-1.04
Individual Behaviors
Median (IQR) injection duration (per year) 14 (8-21) 15 (9-22) 0.99 0.98-1.01
Injects black-tar heroin (vs. powder) 252 (98.8%) 780 (99.7%) 0.22 0.04-1.30
Receptive syringe sharing a ** 182 (70%) 439 (55%) 1.90 1.41-2.56
Distributive syringe sharing a ** 194 (75%) 454 (57%) 2.21 1.62-3.03
Shared injection paraphernalia half the
time or more a
22 (9%) 68 (9%) 0.99 0.60-1.64
Used new/sterile needle half the time or
more a
116 (45%) 355 (45%) 1.00 0.76-1.33
Median (IQR) # injections before changing
needle a **
4 (3-8) 6 (3-10) 0.98 0.97-1.00
Had an abscess a ** 123 (47%) 188 (24%) 2.90 2.17-3.89
Ever traded sex for money, drugs, goods or
shelter **
80 (31%) 161 (20%) 1.75 1.28-2.41
Ever tested for HIV 116 (45%) 314 (39%) 1.24 0.93-1.64
Tested HIV-Positive 13 (5%) 34 (4%) 1.18 0.61-2.28
Positive for syphilis antibodies 46 (18%) 117 (15%) 1.25 0.86-1.82
Syphilis titers ≥ 1:8 21 (8%) 58 (7%) 1.15 0.68-1.93
Structural/Environmental Factors
Born in the US vs. Mexico 9 (4%) 12 (2%) 2.35 0.98-5.63
Born outside of Baja California ** 196 (75%) 512 (64%) 1.70 1.24-2.33
Median (IQR) and mean (SD) years lived
in Tijuana
15 (6-28)
17.9 (14.5)
14 (5-30)
18.0 (14.8)
1.00 1.00-1.00
Ever traveled to U.S. 205 (79%) 616 (77%) 1.09 0.77-1.53
Deported from the US 94 (36%) 319 (40%) 0.85 0.63-1.13
Homeless a 44 (17%) 96 (12%) 1.49 1.01-2.20
Normally injected drugs outside a 54 (21%) 203 (26%) 0.77 0.55-1.08
Normally injected drugs at shooting
gallery a
65 (25%) 173 (22%) 1.20 0.87-1.67
Ever arrested for carrying unused
needles/syringes c *
109 (46%) 252 (37%) 1.43 1.06-1.92
Ever arrested for having track marks c * 168 (70%) 423 (62%) 1.42 1.03-1.95
Ever arrested for carrying drugs c ** 112 (48%) 238 (36%) 1.67 1.23-2.25
a

Last 6 months;

b

among those with a sex partner (N=824);

c

among those ever arrested (N=917).

*

P ≤0.10;

**

P<0.05.

HHS Vulnerability Disclosure