Table 3.
Bivariate associations between self-reported Hepatitis C virus (HCV) positivity and socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics among 162 young IDUs.
| Variable | Total n = 162 % (n) |
HCV positive n = 50 % (n) |
HCV negative n = 112 % (n) |
Unadjusted IRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socio-demographic characteristics | ||||
| Site (LA) | 47.5 (77) | 36.0 (18) | 52.7 (59) | 0.62 (0.39–1.01)† |
| Age, mean (SD) | 21.35 (2.2) | 21.8 (2.1) | 21.1 (2.3) | 1.11 (1.00–1.22)† |
| Sex at birth (Female) (n = 161) | 36.0 (58) | 38.8 (19) | 34.8 (39) | 1.12 (0.69–1.81) |
| Race (White) (n = 161) | 63.4 (102) | 74.0 (37) | 58.6 (65) | 1.65 (0.95–2.84) |
| Sexual identity (Heterosexual) | 65.4 (106) | 74.0 (37) | 61.6 (69) | 0.67 (0.39–1.15) |
| Poor/working class growing up (n = 161) | 49.7 (80) | 60.0 (30) | 45.0 (50) | 1.52 (0.94–2.44)† |
| Completed high school | 63.0 (102) | 56.0 (28) | 66.1 (74) | 0.75 (0.47–1.19) |
| Lifetime homelessness | 94.4 (153) | 96.0 (48) | 93.8 (105) | 1.41 (0.41–4.92) |
| History of institutionalization | ||||
| Incarceration | 85.2 (138) | 92.0 (46) | 82.1 (92) | 2.00 (0.79–5.05) |
| Drug treatment | 68.5 (111) | 76.0 (38) | 65.2 (73) | 1.45 (0.83–2.55) |
| Psychiatric hospital | 49.4 (80) | 52.0 (26) | 48.2 (54) | 1.11 (0.70–1.76) |
| Lifetime prescribed use | ||||
| Opioids | 82.7 (134) | 84.0 (42) | 82.1 (92) | 1.10 (0.58–2.08) |
| Tranquilizers | 58.6 (95) | 66.0 (33) | 55.4 (62) | 1.37 (0.83–2.25) |
| Stimulants | 52.5 (85) | 46.0 (23) | 55.4 (62) | 0.77 (0.49–1.23) |
| Lifetime drug using behaviours | ||||
| Sniffed PO | 81.5 (132) | 78.0 (39) | 83.0 (93) | 0.81 (0.47–1.38) |
| Smoked PO | 24.7 (40) | 18.0 (9) | 27.7 (31) | 0.67 (0.36–1.26) |
| Injected PO | 72.2 (117) | 92.0 (46) | 63.4 (71) | 4.42 (1.69–11.61)** |
| PO as substitute for heroin | 65.4 (106) | 88.0 (44) | 55.4 (62) | 3.87 (1.76–8.55)*** |
| Injected Heroin (n = 161) | 87.0 (140) | 94.0 (47) | 83.8 (93) | 2.35 (0.80–6.90) |
| Cocaine (n = 161) | 68.3 (110) | 88.0 (44) | 59.5 (66) | 3.40 (1.55–7.48)** |
| 1st injection – heroin (n = 155) | 57.4 (89) | 63.3 (31) | 54.7 (58) | 1.28 (0.78–2.08) |
| 1st injection – PO | 14.8 (24) | 18.0 (9) | 13.4 (15) | 1.26 (0.71–2.25) |
| Age of 1st misuse of PO | 14.6 (2.49) | 14.4 (2.2) | 14.7 (2.6) | 0.96 (0.88–1.05) |
| Age of 1st injection of any drug (n = 156) | 17.6 (6.3) | 16.4 (2.2) | 18.2 (7.4) | 0.89 (0.83–0.96)** |
| Age of 1st PO injection (n = 117) | 18.0 (2.59) | 17.7 (2.8) | 18.2 (2.5) | 0.96 (0.88–1.05) |
| Duration of PO injection in years (n = 117) | 3.4 (2.7) | 4.1 (2.6) | 2.9 (2.8) | 1.10 (1.03–1.17)** |
| HCV testing (self-report) | ||||
| Age of HCV+ diagnosis | – | 19.1 (2.5) | – | – |
***
p<0.001,
**
p<0.01,
†
p<0.10.