Table 1.
Baseline socio-demographic, risk and health service utilisation factors associated with mortality among PWID in Melbourne (n = 665)
| Characteristics | Baseline n (%) | Deaths N (%) | Hazard ratio (95 % CI) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||||
| Male | 446 (67.1) | 18 (4.0) | 1.45 (0.58–3.66) | 0.427 |
| Female | 219 (32.9) | 6 (2.7) | 1 | |
| Employed | ||||
| Yes | 91 (13.7) | 2 (2.2) | 0.57 (0.13–2.41) | 0.444 |
| No | 574 (86.3) | 22 (3.8) | 1 | |
| Stable accommodation | ||||
| Yes | 539 (81.0) | 22 (4.1) | 2.53 (0.59–10.77) | 0.209 |
| No | 126 (18.9) | 2 (1.6) | 1 | |
| Current OST | ||||
| Yes | 236 (35.5) | 8 (3.4) | 0.92 (0.39–2.16) | 0.854 |
| No | 429 (64.5) | 16 (3.7) | 1 | |
| Attended emergency department in the past month | ||||
| Yes | 88 (13.2) | 6 (12.0) | 3.44 (1.47–8.03)* | 0.004 |
| No | 577 (86.8) | 18 (2.9) | 1 | |
| Attended PWID specific primary care services in the past month | ||||
| Yes | 116 (17.4) | 22 (4.0) | 0.43 (0.10–1.82) | 0.249 |
| No | 549 (82.6) | 2 (1.7) | 1 | |
| Attended GP services in the past month | ||||
| Yes | 387 (58.2) | 16 (4.1) | 1.44 (0.61–3.36) | 0.403 |
| No | 278 (41.8) | 8 (2.9) | 1 | |
| Attended ambulance services in the past month | ||||
| Yes | 50 (7.5) | 6 (12.0) | 4.43 (1.76–11.17)* | 0.002 |
| No | 615 (92.5) | 18 (2.9) | 1 | |
| Past week heroin injecting frequency | ||||
| None | 10 (25.6) | 6 (3.5) | 1 | |
| Less than daily | 297 (44.7) | 12 (4.0) | 1.14 (0.43–3.04) | 0.794 |
| Daily or more | 198 (29.8) | 6 (3.0) | 0.84 (0.27–2.60) | 0.760 |
| AUDIT Alcohol Consumption Questions score | ||||
| Abstinent | 239 (35.9) | 9 (3.8) | 1 | |
| 1–7 | 264 (39.7) | 7 (2.6) | 0.69 (0.26–1.87) | 0.472 |
| 8 + | 162 (24.4) | 8 (4.9) | 1.35 (0.52–3.50) | 0.537 |
| Arrested in the past 12 months | ||||
| Yes | 359 (54.0) | 17 (4.7) | 2.11 (0.88–5.09)† | 0.096 |
| No | 306 (46.0) | 7 (2.3) | 1 | |
| Frequency of past incarceration | ||||
| None | 271 (40.7) | 7 (2.6) | 1 | |
| 3 or less | 339 (51.0) | 12 (3.5) | 1.39 (0.55–3.52) | 0.491 |
| 4 or more | 55 (8.3) | 5 (9.1) | 3.65 (1.16–11.52)* | 0.027 |
| Duration of injecting career (years) | ||||
| Less than 3 | 77 (11.6) | 4 (5.2) | 1 | |
| 3–9 | 243 (36.5) | 8 (3.3) | 0.63 (0.19–2.09) | 0.450 |
| Greater than 10 | 345 (51.9) | 12 (3.5) | 0.67 (0.22–2.08) | 0.491 |
| Overdose in the past 6 months | ||||
| Yes | 10 (1.5) | 6 (9.2) | 3.14 (1.24–7.96)* | 0.016 |
| No | 655 (98.5) | 18 (3.0) | 1 | |
| SF8 physical health score in the past month | ||||
| High (>56) | 161 (24.1) | 4 (2.5) | 1 | |
| Average (45–56) | 330 (49.6) | 10 (3.0) | 1.23 (0.39–3.93) | 0.725 |
| Low (<45) | 174 (26.2) | 10 (5.7) | 2.39 (0.75–7.63)† | 0.140 |
| SF8 mental health score in the past month | ||||
| High (>53) | 181 (27.2) | 8 (4.4) | 1 | |
| Average (31–53) | 327 (49.2) | 9 (2.7) | 0.63 (0.24–1.64) | 0.344 |
| Low (<31) | 157 (23.6) | 7 (4.5) | 1.03 (0.37–2.85) | 0.949 |
*p < 0.05
† p < 0.1