Table 1.
ORBIT study baseline characteristics including demographics, recent travel history and drug use (n = 89)
| Characteristic | Total (n (%)) |
|---|---|
| Participant characteristics | |
| All | 89 (100.0) |
| Gender | |
| Male | 59 (66.3) |
| Female | 26 (29.2) |
| Transgender/other | 4 (4.5) |
| Age (years) | |
| 15–19 | 18 (20.2) |
| 20–24 | 47 (52.8) |
| >24 | 24 (27.0) |
| Race/ethnicity | |
| White | 73 (82.0) |
| All other/non-white | 16 (18.0) |
| Self-identified as a traveler | |
| Yes | 82 (92.1) |
| No | 6 (6.7) |
| Do not know | 1 (1.1) |
| Permanent home | |
| Does not have a permanent home to return to | 71 (79.8) |
| Does have a home to return to | 18 (20.2) |
| Sources of income (prior 3 months) | |
| Panhandling | 57 (64.0) |
| Stealing | 27 (30.3) |
| Money from friends/partners/parents/relatives | 37 (41.6) |
| Hustling or prostitution | 17 (19.1) |
| Job | 24 (27.0) |
| Benefits—general assistance, social security insurance, etc. | 16 (18.0) |
| Selling drugs | 32 (36.0) |
| Other | 15 (16.9) |
| Modes of travel (prior 3 months, more than one possible) | |
| Hitchhiking | 55 (61.8) |
| Train hopping | 36 (40.5) |
| Car | 41 (46.1) |
| Public transit (paid) | 45 (50.6) |
| Other | 10 (11.2) |
| Number of cities visited (prior 3 months) | |
| 1–2 cities | 37 (41.6) |
| 3–4 cities | 27 (30.4) |
| 5 or more cities | 25 (28.1) |
| Incarceration in jail or juvenile hall (prior 3 months) | |
| Yes | 33 (37.5) |
| No | 55 (62.5) |
| Alcohol use (prior month) | |
| Daily/almost daily | 31 (37.4) |
| Non-daily | 42 (50.6) |
| None | 10 (12.1) |
| Number of drinks per typical drinking day, median (IQR; among those reporting any alcohol consumption, prior month) | 5.0 (2.0–8.0) |
| Drug use (prior 3 months, more than one possible) | |
| Marijuana, hallucinogens, opiates, or benzodiazepines | 86 (97.7) |
| Heroin/methadone | 76 (86.4) |
| Speed | 72 (81.8) |
| Crack | 50 (56.8) |
| Cocaine | 47 (53.4) |
| Years since first injection, median (IQR) | 5.0 (3.0–8.0) |
| Ancillary equipment sharing (prior 3 months) | |
| Yes | 59 (70.2) |
| No | 25 (29.8) |
| Receptive needle sharing (prior 3 months) | |
| Yes | 39 (46.4) |
| No | 45 (53.6) |
| Travel partner characteristics | |
| Number of travel partners (prior 3 months) | |
| 0 | 14 (15.9) |
| 1 | 20 (22.7) |
| >1 | 54 (61.4) |
| Travel partner characteristics among those reporting any travel partners (prior 3 months, n = 74) | |
| Number of male travel partners | |
| 0 | 8 (10.8) |
| 1 | 19 (25.7) |
| >1 | 47 (63.5) |
| Number of female travel partners | |
| 0 | 28 (37.8) |
| 1 | 23 (31.1) |
| >1 | 23 (31.1) |
| Number of transgender/other travel partners | |
| 0 | 70 (94.6) |
| 1 | 2 (2.7) |
| >1 | 2 (2.7) |
| Age of youngest travel partner | |
| Under 20 years | 36 (50.0) |
| 20–24 years | 25 (34.7) |
| 25 years and over | 11 (15.3) |
| Age of oldest travel partner | |
| Under 20 years | 2 (2.7) |
| 20–24 years | 22 (29.7) |
| 25 years and over | 50 (67.6) |
| Number of travel partners who were also injection partners | |
| 0 | 13 (17.6) |
| 1 | 20 (27.0) |
| >1 | 41 (55.4) |
| Number of travel partners who were also sex partners | |
| 0 | 20 (27.0) |
| 1 | 31 (41.9) |
| >1 | 23 (31.1) |