Table 1.
Descriptive statistics and sociodemographic and occupational and safety characteristics of Tijuana police officers who reported coming into occupational contact with needles (n=1,555)
| Characteristic | Total (n=1,555) n (%) | Female (n=190) n (%) | Male (n=1,365) n (%) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sociodemographics | ||||
| Age (median, IQR+ range) | 38 (33-43) | 35 (30-40) | 38 (33-44) | <0.001 |
| Education | ||||
| Less than high school | 291 (20) | 26 (15) | 265 (21) | 0.057 |
| High school or more | 1133 (80) | 148 (85) | 985 (79) | |
| Occupational and safety characteristics | ||||
| Total years in law enforcementA (median, IQR+ range) | 11 (8-18) | 9.3 (3-12) | 12 (9-18) | <0.001 |
| Current rank | ||||
| District chief | 17 (1.1) | 2 (1.1) | 15 (1.1) | 0.066 |
| Deputy | 66 (4.2) | 3 (1.6) | 63 (4.6) | |
| Supervisor | 85 (5.5) | 15 (7.9) | 70 (5.1) | |
| Officer | 1,328 (85.5) | 167 (87.9) | 1,161 (85.1) | |
| Other | 58 (3.7) | 3 (1.6) | 55 (4.0) | |
| Current assignment | ||||
| Patrol | 1,341 (86.5) | 149 (78.4) | 1,192 (87.6) | 0.009 |
| Administrative | 209 (13.5) | 41 (21.6) | 168 (12.4) | |
| Assignment in Zona Centro | 218 (14.2) | 21 (11.3) | 197 (14.6) | 0.262 |
| Ever accidentally stuck by a needle | 202 (13.0) | 31 (16.4) | 171 (12.6) | 0.165 |
| Since the beginning of the training* accidentally stuck by a needle | 23 (1.5) | 7 (3.8) | 16 (1.2) | 0.015 |
| Occupational knowledge | ||||
| To avoid a needlestick injury, you should not throw syringes into the trash | 1,398 (89.9) | 162 (85.2) | 1,236 (90.5) | 0.028 |
| To avoid a needlestick injury, you should ask suspects to list any sharp items in their possession before searching them | 1,453 (93.5) | 185 (97.9) | 1,268 (92.9) | 0.007 |
| If I get a needlestick injury while on duty, I know what to do | 1,056 (68.2) | 112 (59.3) | 944 (69.5) | 0.006 |
| I am confident that I can keep from getting a needlestick injury while on duty | 1,191 (76.8) | 129 (68.3) | 1,062 (78) | 0.004 |
| Syringe-related policing behaviors in the past six months | ||||
| What I do to prevent needlestick injuries is similar to what other police officers do | 1,070 (69.0) | 106 (56.1) | 964 (70.8) | <0.001 |
| I have confiscated needles or syringes | 1,181 (76.1) | 121 (64.0) | 1,060 (77.8) | <0.001 |
| I have confiscated needles or syringes without making an arrestAA | 633 (48.6) | 49 (33.3) | 584 (50.6) | <0.001 |
| I have transported syringes to present them to the proper authorities | 773 (49.8) | 82 (43.4) | 691 (50.7) | 0.063 |
| I have broken a needle or syringe | 732 (47.2) | 63 (33.3) | 669 (49.1) | <0.001 |
| I have arrested someone for syringe possession | 990 (63.8) | 99 (52.4) | 891 (65.4) | 0.001 |
| I have had a physical altercation with a drug user | 1,067 (69.0) | 115 (61.2) | 952 (70.1) | 0.015 |
| I have arrested someone for heroin possession | 1,047 (67.5) | 99 (52.4) | 948 (69.6) | <0.001 |
| I have referred people who use drugs to social or health programs | 901 (58.1) | 94 (49.7) | 807 (59.3) | 0.015 |
+ Interquartile range
* March 2015
^ n=1,424
^^ n=1,302