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Ibragimov U, Cooper KE, Batty E, Ballard AM, Fadanelli M, Gross SB, Klein EM, Lockard S, Young AM, Cooper HLF. Factors that influence enrollment in syringe services programs in rural areas: a qualitative study among program clients in Appalachian Kentucky. Harm Reduct J 2021; 18:68. [PMID: 34193165 PMCID: PMC8244225 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-021-00518-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Enrolling sufficient number of people who inject drugs (PWID) into syringe services programs (SSP) is important to curtail outbreaks of drug-related harms. Still, little is known about barriers and facilitators to SSP enrollment in rural areas with no history of such programs. This study's purpose was to develop a grounded theory of the role of the risk environment and individual characteristics of PWID in shaping SSP enrollment in rural Kentucky. METHODS We conducted one-on-one semi-structured interviews with 41 clients of 5 SSPs that were established in rural counties in Appalachian Kentucky in 2017-2018. Interviews covered PWID needs, the process of becoming aware of SSPs, and barriers and facilitators to SSP enrollment. Applying constructivist grounded theory methods and guided by the Intersectional Risk Environment Framework (IREF), we applied open, axial and selective coding to develop the grounded theory. RESULTS Stigma, a feature of IREF's meso-level social domain, is the main factor hampering SSP enrollment. PWID hesitated to visit SSPs because of internalized stigma and because of anticipated stigma from police, friends, family and healthcare providers. Fear of stigma was often mitigated or amplified by a constellation of meso-level environmental factors related to healthcare (e.g., SSPs) and social (PWID networks) domains and by PWID's individual characteristics. SSPs mitigated stigma as a barrier to enrollment by providing low threshold services in a friendly atmosphere, and by offering their clients program IDs to protect them from paraphernalia charges. SSP clients spread positive information about the program within PWID networks and helped their hesitant peers to enroll by accompanying them to SSPs. Individual characteristics, including child custody, employment or high social status, made certain PWID more susceptible to drug-related stigma and hence more likely to delay SSP enrollment. CONCLUSIONS Features of the social and healthcare environments operating at the meso-level, as well as PWID's individual characteristics, appear to enhance or mitigate the effect of stigma as a barrier to SSP enrollment. SSPs opening in locations with high stigma against PWID need to ensure low threshold and friendly services, protect their clients from police and mobilize PWID networks to promote enrollment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Evan Batty
- University of Kentucky College of Public Health, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - April M Ballard
- Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Monica Fadanelli
- Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Skylar B Gross
- Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Emma M Klein
- Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Scott Lockard
- Kentucky River District Health Department, Hazard, KY, USA
| | - April M Young
- University of Kentucky College of Public Health, Lexington, KY, USA
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Lindqvist K, Wallmofeldt C, Holmén E, Hammarberg A, Kåberg M. Health literacy and changes in pattern of drug use among participants at the Stockholm Needle Exchange Program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Harm Reduct J 2021; 18:52. [PMID: 33971892 PMCID: PMC8107802 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-021-00499-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and aims People who inject drugs may be particularly vulnerable to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) due to underlying health problems, stigma and social vulnerabilities. Harm reduction services, including needle exchange programs (NEP), have been subjected to varying degrees of disruption in the world, especially in the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Compared to responses in other countries, Sweden’s initial strategy toward limiting the spread and impact of COVID-19 was less restrictive to its citizens with no imposed general societal lockdown. In this study, we investigate changes in drug use patterns, utilization of NEP associated health services, COVID-19 health literacy and the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among NEP clients in Stockholm during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods NEP visits and services provided (needles/syringes, HIV and hepatitis C tests and treatment, naloxone distributed) and overall mortality among NEP clients between January 1 and October 31, 2020, were used for trend analyses in comparison with corresponding 2019 data. Between July 27 and October 2, 2020, NEP clients (n = 232) responded to a 27 item COVID-19 Health Literacy Questionnaire. SARS CoV-2 IgG antibody tests (n = 779) were performed between June 15 and October 31, 2020. Results During the COVID-19 pandemic number of clients, client visits, naloxone distribution and HCV tests remained stable compared to 2019, while distribution of needles/syringes increased (p < 0.0001); number of HIV tests and HCV treatments decreased (p < 0.05); and mortality decreased (< 0.01). Overall, the level of health literacy concerning transmission routes and protective measures was high. SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence was 5.4% (95% CI 4.0–7.2). Conclusions The Stockholm NEP managed to maintain a high level of clients and services during the pandemic. In general, COVID-19 health literacy was adequate and the overall SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence was low compared to the general population, which highlights a need for prioritized and targeted COVID-19 vaccination among PWID.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Lindqvist
- Stockholm Needle Exchange, Stockholm Centre for Dependency Disorders, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - C Wallmofeldt
- Norra Stockholms Psykiatri (Psychiatry of Northern Stockholm), S:t Görans Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - E Holmén
- Stockholm Needle Exchange, Stockholm Centre for Dependency Disorders, Stockholm, Sweden.,Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - A Hammarberg
- Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Stockholm Centre for Dependency Disorders, Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - M Kåberg
- Stockholm Needle Exchange, Stockholm Centre for Dependency Disorders, Stockholm, Sweden. .,Department of Medicine Huddinge, Division of Infection and Dermatology, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Sprututbytet, S:t Görans sjukhus, Akutvägen 29, 112 81, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Helping behaviour among people who use drugs: Altruism and mutual aid in a harm reduction program. JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY & APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/casp.2432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Cloud DH, Ibragimov U, Prood N, Young AM, Cooper HLF. Rural risk environments for hepatitis c among young adults in appalachian kentucky. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2019; 72:47-54. [PMID: 31113713 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rural Kentucky is an epicenter of hepatitis C(HCV), especially among young adults who inject drugs. While the Risk Environment Framework (REF) has been used widely to study and address socio-ecological determinants of infectious disease among people who inject drugs (PWID), it has been almost exclusively applied to urban environments. Applying REF to rural environments can enhance our understanding of the drivers of HCV epidemics in these hard-hit areas, and inform the creation and implementation of harm reduction interventions in this local context. METHODS Participants were recruited between March and August 2017 via community-based outreach methods (e.g., cookouts, flyers) and peer referral. Individuals who met eligibility criteria (aged 18-35, recently used prescription opioids and/or heroin to get high, lived in one of the 5 target counties) participated indepth, semi-structured interviews. The interview guide was informed by the REF, and covered HCV-related risk behaviors and environmental features that shaped vulnerability to engaging in these behaviors. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using constructivist grounded-theory methods. RESULTS Participants (N=19) described multiple intersecting risk environment features that shaped vulnerability to HCV transmission. Economic decline generated intergenerational poverty, dwindling employment prospects, and diminished social enrichment opportunities that collectively contributed to substance misuse and risky injection practices. Geographic isolation, lack of collective knowledge about HCV transmission risks, scarce harm reduction services, familial poverty, and fear of law enforcement interacted to increase the odds of people injecting in "trap houses" (akin to shooting galleries) or secluded areas, spaces in which they rushed to inject and shared injection equipment. Pervasive stigma was a structural barrier to adopting, expanding, and using harm reduction services. CONCLUSION This exploratory study identified features of rural risk environments that may contribute to significant HCV burdens in Appalachian Kentucky. Findings signal the importance of expanding proven harm reduction strategies and anti-stigma interventions tailored to rural contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- David H Cloud
- Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, United States.
| | | | - Nadya Prood
- Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, United States
| | - April M Young
- University of Kentucky College of Public Health, United States
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Cheng T, Small W, Dong H, Nosova E, Hayashi K, DeBeck K. An age-based analysis of nonmedical prescription opioid use among people who use illegal drugs in Vancouver, Canada. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 2018; 13:41. [PMID: 30482215 PMCID: PMC6260714 DOI: 10.1186/s13011-018-0180-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nonmedical prescription opioid use (NMPOU) is a serious public health problem in North America. At a population-level, previous research has identified differences in the prevalence and correlates of NMPOU among younger versus older age groups; however, less is known about age-related differences in NMPOU among people who use illegal drugs. METHODS Data were collected between 2013 and 2015 from two linked prospective cohort studies in Vancouver, Canada: the At-Risk Youth Study (ARYS) and the Vancouver Injection Drug Users Study (VIDUS). Factors independently associated with NMPOU among younger (ARYS) and older (VIDUS) participants were examined separately using bivariate and multivariate generalized estimating equations. RESULTS A total of 1162 participants were included. Among 405 eligible younger participants (Median age = 25; Inter-Quartile Range [IQR]: 22-28), 40% (n = 160) reported engaging in NMPOU at baseline; among 757 older participants (Median age = 48, IQR: 40-55), 35% (n = 262) reported engaging in NMPOU at baseline. In separate multivariate analyses of younger and older participants, NMPOU was positively and independently associated with heroin use (younger: Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 3.12, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 2.08-4.68; older: AOR = 2.79, 95% CI: 2.08-3.74), drug dealing (younger: AOR = 2.22, 95% CI: 1.58-3.13; older: AOR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.40-2.49), and difficulty accessing services (younger: AOR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.04-2.09; older: AOR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.32-2.29). Among the youth cohort only, NMPOU was associated with younger age (AOR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.05-1.19), crack use (AOR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.06-2.30), and binge drug use (AOR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.00-1.97); older participants who engaged in NMPOU were more likely to report crystal methamphetamine use (AOR = 1.97, 95% CI: 1.46-2.66), non-fatal overdose (AOR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.20-2.60) and sex work (AOR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.00-2.22). DISCUSSION The prevalence of NMPOU is similar among younger and older people who use drugs, and independently associated with markers of vulnerability among both age groups. Adults who engage in NMPOU are at risk for non-fatal overdose, which highlights the need for youth and adult-specific strategies to address NMPOU that include better access to health and social services, as well as a range of addiction treatment options for opioid use. Findings also underscore the importance of improving pain treatment strategies tailored for PWUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa Cheng
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Blusson Hall, Room 11300, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6 Canada
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Providence Health Care, 400-1045 Howe St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9 Canada
| | - Will Small
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Blusson Hall, Room 11300, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6 Canada
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Providence Health Care, 400-1045 Howe St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9 Canada
- Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction, SFU Faculty of Health Sciences, 515 W. Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 5K3 Canada
| | - Huiru Dong
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Providence Health Care, 400-1045 Howe St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9 Canada
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 Canada
| | - Ekaterina Nosova
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Providence Health Care, 400-1045 Howe St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9 Canada
| | - Kanna Hayashi
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Blusson Hall, Room 11300, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6 Canada
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Providence Health Care, 400-1045 Howe St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9 Canada
| | - Kora DeBeck
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Providence Health Care, 400-1045 Howe St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9 Canada
- School of Public Policy, Simon Fraser University, 515 West Hastings Street, Suite 3271, Vancouver, BC V6B 5K3 Canada
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Rudzinski K, McDonough P, Gartner R, Strike C. Is there room for resilience? A scoping review and critique of substance use literature and its utilization of the concept of resilience. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 2017; 12:41. [PMID: 28915841 PMCID: PMC5603070 DOI: 10.1186/s13011-017-0125-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Research in the area of illicit substance use remains preoccupied with describing and analyzing the risks of people who use drugs (PWUD), however more recently there has been a drive to use a strengths-based or resilience approach as an alternative to investigating drug use. This leads us to ask: what can be known about PWUD from the point of view of resilience? The objective of this scoping review is to analyze how the concept of resilience is defined, operationalized, and applied in substance use research. Popular health, social science, psychology, and inter-disciplinary databases namely: SCOPUS, PUBMED, PsycINFO, and Sociological Abstracts were searched. Studies were selected if they used the concept of resilience and if substance use was a key variable under investigation. A total of 77 studies were identified which provided a definition of resilience, or attempted to operationalize (e.g., via scales) the concept of resilience in some manner. Data were charted and sorted using key terms and fundamental aspects of resilience. The majority of studies focus on youth and their resistance to, or engagement in, substance use. There is also a small but growing area of research that examines recovery from substance addiction as a form of resilience. Very few studies were found that thoroughly investigated resilience among PWUD. Consistently throughout the literature drug use is presented as a 'risk factor' jeopardizing one's ability to be resilient, or drug use is seen as a 'maladaptive coping strategy', purporting one's lack of resilience. Currently, substance use research provides a substantial amount of information about the internal strengths that can assist in resisting future drug use; however there is less information about the external resources that play a role, especially for adults. Though popular, outcome-based conceptualizations of resilience are often static, concealing the potential for developing resilience over time or as conditions change. Studies of resilience among PWUD predominantly concentrate on health-related behaviours, recovery-related factors or predefined harm reduction strategies. Indeed, overall, current conceptualizations of resilience are too narrow to recognize all the potential manifestations of resilience practices in the daily lives of individuals who actively use drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Rudzinski
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7 Canada
| | - Peggy McDonough
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7 Canada
| | - Rosemary Gartner
- Centre for Criminology & Sociolegal Studies, University of Toronto, 14 Queen’s Park Crescent West, Toronto, ON M5S 3K9 Canada
| | - Carol Strike
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7 Canada
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Behrends CN, Li CS, Gibson DR. Decreased Odds of Injection Risk Behavior Associated With Direct Versus Indirect Use of Syringe Exchange: Evidence From Two California Cities. Subst Use Misuse 2017; 52:1151-1159. [PMID: 28557553 PMCID: PMC5592728 DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2017.1299182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While there is substantial evidence that syringe exchange programs (SEPs) are effective in preventing HIV among people who inject drugs (PWID), nearly all the evidence comes from PWID who obtain syringes from an SEP directly. Much less is known about the benefits of secondary exchange to PWID who get syringes indirectly from friends or acquaintances who visit an SEP for them. OBJECTIVES We evaluated the effectiveness of direct versus indirect syringe exchange in reducing HIV-related high-risk injecting behavior among PWID in two separate studies conducted in Sacramento and San Jose, California, cities with quite different syringe exchange models. METHODS In both studies associations between direct and indirect syringe exchange and self-reported risk behavior were examined with multivariable logistic regression models. Study 1 assessed effects of a "satellite" home-delivery syringe exchange in Sacramento, while Study 2 evaluated a conventional fixed-site exchange in San Jose. RESULTS Multivariable analyses revealed 95% and 69% reductions, respectively, in high-risk injection associated with direct use of the SEPs in Sacramento and San Jose, and a 46% reduction associated with indirect use of the SEP in Sacramento. Conclusions/Importance: The very large effect of direct SEP use in Sacramento was likely due in part to home delivery of sterile syringes. While more modest effects were associated with indirect use, such use nevertheless is valuable in reducing the risk of HIV transmission of PWID who are unable or unwilling to visit a syringe exchange.
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Affiliation(s)
- Czarina N Behrends
- a Graduate Group in Epidemiology , University of California , Davis, Davis , California , USA
| | - Chin-Shang Li
- a Graduate Group in Epidemiology , University of California , Davis, Davis , California , USA.,b Department of Public Health Sciences , University of California , Davis, Davis , California , USA
| | - David R Gibson
- a Graduate Group in Epidemiology , University of California , Davis, Davis , California , USA.,b Department of Public Health Sciences , University of California , Davis, Davis , California , USA
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