Table 1.
Characteristics of participants by frequency of ED use in the last 6 months.
| Frequency of ED use | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
||||
| Attribute | Total (n = 653) N (%) |
Low1 (n = 522) N (%) |
High1 (n = 131) N (%) |
p value |
| Age in years, mean (SD) | 44 (7.3) | 44.62 (7.10) | 44.24 (8.17) | 0.59 |
| Female sex | 298 (46) | 234 (44.8) | 64 (48.9) | 0.41 |
| Black race | 558 (85) | 453 (86.8) | 105 (80.2) | 0.15 |
| Less than High School Education | 352 (54) | 278 (53.3) | 74 (56.5) | 0.13 |
| Unemployed | 332 (51) | 276 (52.9) | 56 (42.7) | 0.003** |
| Past month income ≤$499 | 314 (49) | 257 (49.7) | 57 (43.5) | 0.19 |
| Insured2 | 529 (81) | 414 (79.3) | 115 (87.8) | 0.027** |
| Homeless2 | 159 (24) | 106 (20.3) | 53 (40.5) | <0.001** |
| Used heroin, cocaine or crack2 | 442 (68) | 352 (67.4) | 90 (68.7) | 0.78 |
| Ever injection drug use3 | 321 (49) | 250 (47.9) | 71 (54.2) | 0.20 |
| Taking ≥3 medications2 | 79 (12) | 49 (9.4) | 30 (22.9) | <0.001** |
| >2 Primary care visits2 | 327 (50) | 236 (45.2) | 91 (69.5) | <0.001** |
| Hospitalization2,4 | 105 (16.1) | 41 (7.9) | 64 (48.9) | <0.001** |
| Mental illness | 203 (31) | 144 (27.6) | 59 (45.0) | <0.001** |
| Social Network | ||||
| Network size (median, IQR) | 6 (4–8) | 6 (4–8) | 6 (4–9) | 0.078* |
| Partner, mean (SD) | 0.8 (1.0) | 0.8 (0.8) | 1.0 (1.6) | 0.12 |
| Kin, mean (SD) | 2.7 (2.0) | 2.7 (1.9) | 2.9 (2.1) | 0.27 |
| Nonkin, mean (SD) | 2.4 (2.2) | 2.3 (2.1) | 2.6 (2.4) | 0.24 |
| Alter age, years (median, IQR) | 49 (41–58) | 49 (41–58) | 48 (40–58) | 0.33 |
| Female, mean(SD) | 3.4 (2.0) | 3.3 (2.0) | 3.5 (2.1) | 0.29 |
| Any instrumental support5 | 567 (87) | 457 (87.5) | 110 (84.0) | 0.28 |
| Any informational support5 | 483 (74) | 377 (72.2) | 106 (80.9) | 0.043** |
| Any emotional support5 | 628 (96) | 501 (96.0) | 127 (96.9) | 0.61 |
*
p < 0.10;
**
p < 0.05.
1
High ED is greater than ≥2 visit/6 months vs. 1 or 0 visits/6 months.
2
Within the previous 6 months.
3
Heroin or cocaine alone or together, amphetamines, opiates.
4
The most frequent reasons for admission accounting for 70% were cardiovascular (29, 28%), respiratory (18, 17%), mental illness (16, 15%), and substance use (10, 10%).
5
≥ 1 alter within the previous 6 months.