INTRODUCTION AND AIMS:
Strategies
are needed to transition persons who inject drugs out of injecting. We
undertook this study to identify protective factors associated with cessation
of injection drug use.
DESIGN AND METHODS:
Data
were derived from three prospective cohorts of people who use illicit drugs in
Vancouver, Canada, between September 2005 and November 2011. Generalised
estimating equations were used to examine protective factors and 6-month
cessation of injection drug use.
RESULTS:
Our
sample of 1663 people who inject drugs included 563 (33.9%) women, and median
age was 40 years. Overall, 904 (54.4%) individuals had at least one 6-month
injection cessation event. In multivariable analysis, protective factors
associated with cessation of injection drug use included the following: having
a regular place to stay; formal employment;
social support from personal contacts; social
support from professionals; ability to access
health and social services; and positive
self-rated health.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:
Over
half of people who inject drugs in this study reported achieving 6-month
cessation of injection drug use, with cessation being associated with a range
of modifiable protective factors. Policy makers and practitioners should
promote increased access to stable housing, employment, social support and
other services to promote cessation of injection drug use.
- 1The Farr Institute of Health Informatics Research, University College London, London, UK.
- 2Urban Health Research Initiative, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada.
- 3Division of AIDS, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
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