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. 2019 Dec 12;8(1):e76–e91. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(19)30462-0

Table 3.

Country-level linear regression analyses of the predictors of the average age of PWID and average age of onset of injecting

Average age of PWID
Average age of onset of injecting
Univariable analysis (n=94)
Multivariable analysis (n=79)
Univariable analysis (n=66)
Multivariable analysis (n=61)
n Coefficient (95% CI) p value Coefficient (95% CI) p value n Coefficient (95% CI) p value Coefficient (95% CI) p value
Urban population growth 92 −0·52 (−1·18 to 0·15) 0·129 .. .. 64 1·20 (0·62 to 1·78) 0·0001 1·40 (0·41 to 2·40) 0·007
Youth unemployment 91 −0·01 (−0·09 to 0·08) 0·887 .. .. 64 −0·09 (−0·16 to −0·01) 0·032 −0·05 (−0·14 to 0·04) 0·257
GDP (per US$1000 increase) 89 0·12 (0·07 to 0·17) <0·0001 0·13 (0·06 to 0·20) 0·0004 63 −0·01 (−0·07 to 0·04) 0·631 .. ..
Gini coefficient (per score increase) 87 −0·06 (−0·23 to 0·11) 0·496 .. .. 63 0·05 (−0·12 to 0·22) 0·539 .. ..
Opioid substitution therapy coverage (per % increase in coverage) 76 0·03 (−0·00 to 0·06) 0·078 .. .. 54 −0·02 (−0·06 to 0·01) 0·154 .. ..
Percentage of PWID who are women 83 0·06 (−0·05 to 0·17) 0·276 −0·07 (−0·22 to 0·07) 0·293 63 −0·13 (−0·22 to −0·04) 0·005 −0·14 (−0·26 to −0·02) 0·019
Proportion of the general population aged 15–24 years 90 −0·32 (−0·63 to 0·02) 0·038 −0·06 (−0·44 to 0·31) 0·731 64 0·36 (0·09 to 0·64) 0·011 −0·45 (−0·96 to 0·06) 0·082

n refers to number of countries. For age of PWID and age of onset of IDU, we used a median (range) where available and a mean (range) where a median was not available but a mean was; hence, we refer to these as averages throughout. GDP=gross domestic product. PWID=people who inject drugs.