Latent polydrug use patterns and the provision of injection initiation assistance among people who inject drugs in three North American settings

Original research
by
Rammohan, Indhu et al

Release Date

2023

Geography

International

Language of Resource

English

Full Text Available

Yes

Open Access / OK to Reproduce

Yes

Peer Reviewed

Yes

Objective

We sought to identify latent profiles of polysubstance use patterns among people who inject drugs in three distinct North American settings, and then determine whether profile membership was associated with providing injection initiation assistance to injection-naïve persons.

Findings/Key points

We identified commonalities and differences in polysubstance use patterns among people who inject drugs in three settings disproportionately impacted by injection drug use. Our results also suggest that other factors may be of greater priority when tailoring interventions to reduce the incidence of injection initiation. These findings can aid in efforts to identify and support specific higher-risk subpopulations of people who inject drugs.

Design/methods

Cross-sectional data from three linked cohorts in Vancouver, Canada; Tijuana, Mexico; and San Diego, USA

Keywords

About PWUD
Stimulants
Injecting drugs
Illegal drugs