Injecting Alone is More Common among Men, Frequent Injectors and Polysubstance Users in a Sample of People Who Inject Drugs

Bibliographic Data

ID21645396
AuthorsLinn Gjersing (0000-0003-0829-2020, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, corresponding author), Marte Kristin Helle (Stavanger Municipality, Stavanger, Norway)
Year2021
Volume56
Issue14
Pages2214-2220
Publication date2021-12-06
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSubstance Use & Misuse (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1082-6084 • E-ISSN: 1532-2491
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10826084.2021.1981388
PMID34565289
OpenAlexW3204395444
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited35

Background Injecting alone increases the risk of a fatal overdose. We examined the extent of such behavior in a sample of people who inject drugs (PWID) and the typical characteristics of those injecting alone at least once during the past four weeks. Design A cross-sectional study. PWID recruited from the street and from low-threshold services in seven Norwegian cities in September 2017 (n = 359). Associations between characteristics and injecting alone were examined using logistic regression analysis. The independent variables were gender (female/male), age, having received overdose-prevention education (no/yes), and, in the past four weeks; homelessness/shelter use (no/yes), in opioid substitution treatment (no/yes), injecting ≥ four days a week (no/yes), and substances injected (opioids only/opioids and other/other only/central stimulants (CS) only/CS and other/CS and opioids/CS, opioids and other). The adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) were reported. Findings Of the 359 PWID, 84.4% reported having injected alone. Males were more likely than females to inject alone (aOR = 1.88 95% CI 1.00-3.54). Furthermore, those injecting frequently (aOR = 1.99 95% CI 1.02-3.86) and those injecting multiple substances (CS, opioids and other) (aOR = 2.94 95% CI 1.01-8.58) were more likely to inject alone compared to those injecting less frequently and opioids only. Although not statistically significant, the effect sizes in the logistic regression models suggest that polysubstance use may be driven by CS use. Conclusion Injecting alone was common in our sample of PWID, and male gender, frequent injecting and polysubstance injecting were associated with this behavior

Confidence interval · Drug · Heroin · Logistic regression · Norwegian · Odds ratio · Opioid · Polysubstance dependence · Psychiatry · Substance abuse · Demography · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk · Medicine · Opioid Use Disorder Treatment · Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes · Internal Medicine

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