Table 1.
Sociodemographic characteristics, substance use behaviours, treatment experience and other behavioural risk factors at opioid agonist therapy initiation stratified by pre-treatment opioid use trajectories among 464 people who use illicit drugs in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
| Characteristics | Total n=464 (%) | Gradually increasing frequency user n=218 (47.0%) | High frequency user n=246 (53.0%) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid use a | ||||
| < monthly | 33 (7.1%) | 22 (10.1%) | 11 (4.5%) | <0.001 |
| ≥ monthly | 28 (6.0%) | 17 (7.8%) | 11 (4.5%) | |
| ≥ weekly | 87 (18.8%) | 46 (21.1%) | 41 (16.7%) | |
| ≥ daily | 246 (53.0%) | 90 (41.3%) | 156 (63.4%) | |
| Sociodemographic factors | ||||
| Age (years), median (interquartile range) | 36 (27 – 47) | 34 (26 – 48) | 37 (28 – 45) | 0.350 |
| Male | 312 (67.2%) | 156 (71.6%) | 156 (63.4%) | 0.062 |
| White ethnicity | 264 (56.9%) | 121 (55.5%) | 143 (58.1%) | 0.569 |
| Being in a stable relationship a | 135 (29.1%) | 65 (29.8%) | 70 (28.5%) | 0.747 |
| Employment status (regular/temporary job; self-employed) a | 98 (21.1%) | 49 (22.5%) | 49 (19.9%) | 0.500 |
| Unstable housing | 338 (72.8%) | 152 (69.7%) | 186 (75.6%) | 0.234 |
| Substance use a | ||||
| Any stimulant use | 377 (81.3%) | 179 (82.1%) | 198 (80.5%) | 0.581 |
| Cannabis use | 263 (56.7%) | 141 (64.7%) | 122 (49.6%) | 0.001 |
| Daily alcohol | 21 (4.5%) | 13 (6.0%) | 8 (3.3%) | 0.161 |
| Benzodiazepine use | 11 (2.4%) | 6 (2.8%) | 5 (2.0%) | 0.611 |
| Treatment experience | ||||
| Any opioid agonist therapy before study enrollment | 142 (30.6%) | 42 (19.3%) | 100 (40.7%) | <0.001 |
| Behavioural risk factors a | ||||
| Attacked, assaulted, or suffered violence | 79 (17.0%) | 42 (19.3%) | 37 (15.0%) | 0.217 |
| Drug dealing | 122 (26.3%) | 39 (17.9%) | 83 (33.7%) | <0.001 |
| Sex work involvement | 58 (12.5%) | 22 (10.1%) | 36 (14.6%) | 0.140 |
| Incarceration | 84 (18.1%) | 29 (13.3%) | 55 (22.4%) | 0.011 |
| Other factors | ||||
| Study cohort designation (ACCESS) | 115 (24.8%) | 62 (28.4%) | 53 (21.5%) | <0.001 |
| Study cohort designation (ARYS) | 135 (29.1%) | 83 (38.1%) | 52 (21.1%) | |
| Calendar year on opioid agonist therapy, median (interquartile range) | 2012 (2009 – 2015) | 2013 (2010 – 2016) | 2011 (2008 – 2015) | 0.004 |
ACCESS AIDS Care Cohort to evaluate Exposure to Survival Services; AYRS At-Risk Youth Study.
a
Denotes behaviours and events in the previous six months.