Table 1.
Sociodemographic factors and behaviors among younger (<21 years of age) and older (≥21 years) street youth in the last six months.
| Age | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristic | Total (%) n = 559 |
< 21 years (%) n = 222 |
≥ 21 years (%) n = 337 |
Unadjusted OR (95% CI) |
p |
| Sociodemographic data | |||||
| Male sex | 380 (68.0) | 118(53.2) | 262 (77.7) | 3.08(2.13–4.45) | < .001 |
| Aboriginal ethnicity | 131 (23.4) | 37(16.7) | 94 (27.9) | 1.93 (1.26–2.96) | .002 |
| High school education* | 232 (41.5) | 97 (43.7) | 135(40.1) | 0.86(0.61–1.21) | .394 |
| Homeless | 422 (75.5) | 175(78.8) | 247 (73.3) | 0.74(0.49–1.10) | .137 |
| CES-Dscore≥16** | 293 (55.7) | 103(49.1) | 190(60.1) | 1.57(1.10–2.23) | .012 |
| Substance use behaviors | |||||
| Binge alcohol use | 348 (62.3) | 158(71.2) | 190(56.4) | 0.52 (0.36–0.75) | < .001 |
| Non-injection crack use | 316(56.5) | 98(44.1) | 218(64.7) | 2.32 (1.64–3.28) | < .001 |
| Non-injection heroin | 111 (19.9) | 31 (14.0) | 80 (23.7) | 1.92 (1.22–3.02) | .005 |
| Non-injection crystal methamphetamine | 244 (43.7) | 98(44.1) | 146(43.3) | 0.97(0.69–1.36) | .848 |
| Injected drugs (any) | 163(29.2) | 42(18.9) | 121 (35.9) | 2.40(1.60–3.59) | < .001 |
| Dealt drugs | 250 (44.7) | 84 (37.8) | 166(49.3) | 1.59(1.13–2.25) | .008 |
| Overdosed | 64 (11.5) | 28(12.6) | 36(10.7) | 0.83(0.49–1.40) | .483 |
| ≥ $50 spent on drugs daily | 252 (47.0) | 82(39.1) | 170(52.2) | 1.70 (1.20–2.42) | .003 |
| Sexual behaviors | |||||
| Unprotected vaginal or anal intercourse | 312(55.8) | 138(62.2) | 174(51.6) | 0.65 (0.46–0.92) | .014 |
| > 1 sexual partner | 273 (48.8) | 120(54.1) | 153(45.4) | 0.71 (0.50–0.99) | .045 |
| Sex trade involvement | 63 (11.3) | 20 (9.0) | 43(12.8) | 1.48 (0.84–2.59) | .170 |
*
Prior completion of or current enrollment in high school.
**
Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (Radloff, 1991).