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Roberts K, Smith E, Sousa C, Young JE, Corley AG, Szczotka D, Sepanski A, Hartoch A. Centering persons who use drugs: addressing social determinants of health among patients hospitalized with substance use disorders. Soc Work Health Care 2024; 63:19-34. [PMID: 37929597 DOI: 10.1080/00981389.2023.2278777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Social workers have emerged as leaders within Addiction Consult Services (ACS) due to their ability to provide a wide range of services, from crisis work and brief therapeutic interventions to connecting patients to community resources. Many hospitals have implemented ACS to address the overdose crisis and the sharp rise in drug use-related infections, including skin and soft tissue infections, osteomyelitis, and endocarditis; a result of unaddressed systemic social determinants of health (SDOH). Yet, despite social workers being at the forefront of inpatient substance use work, little guidance exists regarding social work's role in leading person-centered addiction care and addressing SDOH in the hospital setting. The authors of this paper are licensed clinical social workers who have worked across five different health systems, engaging persons who use drugs (PWUD) in the context of an ACS. This paper examines five practice interventions of social work practice within hospitals that represent key points for innovation. Drawing on social work's unique commitments to social justice, strengths, and person-in-environment, these interventions operate within eco-social approaches to help us grapple more effectively with ways that health - and disease - are socially and economically produced by multiple interacting factors. We provide a clinical roadmap of interventions for social workers in hospital settings with PWUD to demonstrate how social work leadership within inpatient care models can help us better address the impacts of various intersecting SDOH on the care of PWUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Roberts
- Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Emily Smith
- Michigan Opioid Collaboratived, University of Michigan Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Cindy Sousa
- Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - J Elaina Young
- School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Anna Grace Corley
- Addiction Medicine, Prisma Health Internal Medicine, Greenville, South Carolina, USA
| | - Darin Szczotka
- Michigan Opioid Collaboratived, University of Michigan Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Abby Sepanski
- Addiction Medicine, Prisma Health Internal Medicine, Greenville, South Carolina, USA
| | - Ashley Hartoch
- Psychiatry, Stanford Health Care, Palo Alto, California, USA
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Upton EM, Rudolph AE, Ward PJ, Havens JR, Young AM. Extent and implications of omitted ties on network measures in a longitudinal social network survey of people who use drugs. Drug Alcohol Depend 2022; 238:109554. [PMID: 35850026 PMCID: PMC9514791 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous research has revealed under-reporting of personal network members (i.e., alters) in studies involving people who use drugs (PWUD). This analysis (1) characterizes relationships that were more likely to be omitted but later recalled with prompting and (2) identifies network structural characteristics most impacted by these omissions among a sample of PWUD in rural Appalachian Kentucky, an epicenter of the opioid epidemic. METHODS Data were collected through longitudinal assessments as part of the Social Networks Among Appalachian People (SNAP) study (2008-2017). Study participants completed interviewer-administered questionnaires that collected social network data via free-listing at baseline and six-month intervals. At visit 5, after free-listing, interviewers prompted participants with the names of previously reported alters. We used modified Poisson regression with generalized estimating equations to identify individual- and relationship-level characteristics associated with an alter being reported only after prompting. We examined the impact of including vs. excluding relationships reported after prompting on local and global sociometric network measures (i.e., betweenness centrality, bridging, density, mean degree, transitivity, cliques, and 2-cores). RESULTS Relationships reported only after prompting were more likely to be immediate family (Adjusted Prevalence Ratio [APR]:1.29; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.03-1.63) and less likely to involve sex (APR:0.54; 95% CI: 0.43-0.67). Considerable differences were observed for participant positional rankings of betweenness centrality and bridging, and differences in network density and average degree pre- and post-prompting were statistically significant. CONCLUSION Longitudinal network studies that aim to assess transmission dynamics, information diffusion, or peer influence should consider the effects of omitted relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Upton
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Williams College, Williamstown, MA, USA.
| | - Abby E Rudolph
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Temple University College of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Patrick J Ward
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Kentucky College of Public Health, Lexington, KY, USA; Department of Biostatistics, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jennifer R Havens
- Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - April M Young
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Kentucky College of Public Health, Lexington, KY, USA; Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
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Guillaumier A, Skelton E, Tzelepis F, D'Este C, Paul C, Walsberger S, Kelly PJ, Palazzi K, Bonevski B. Patterns and predictors of nicotine replacement therapy use among alcohol and other drug clients enrolled in a smoking cessation randomised controlled trial. Addict Behav 2021; 119:106935. [PMID: 33848758 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.106935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) use to support client smoking quit attempts is low and inconsistent at alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment services. This study examined predictors of any NRT use and combination NRT use among AOD clients who were smokers. METHODS The study was part of a cluster-RCT of an organisational change intervention to introduce smoking cessation support as part of routine treatment in 32 AOD services. The intervention provided AOD services with free NRT and training. Service clients completed baseline (n = 896), 8-week (n = 471) and 6.5-month (n = 427) follow-up surveys. Mixed-model logistic regression examined whether baseline socio-demographic and smoking variables were associated with single and combination NRT use. RESULTS At 8-weeks follow-up 57% (n = 269/471), and at 6.5-months 33% (n = 143/427) of participants reported using at least one form of NRT. Odds of NRT use at 8-weeks follow-up were greater among participants from treatment vs control group (OR = 3.69, 95%CI 1.8-7.4; p < 0.001), higher vs lower nicotine dependence (OR = 1.74 95%CI 1.1-2.8; p = 0.024), or those motivated to quit (OR = 1.18 95%CI 1.0-1.4; p = 0.017). At 6.5-months, only the treatment arm remained significant. Combination NRT use at the 8-week follow-up was higher among those in treatment vs control group (OR = 2.75 95%CI 1.4-5.6; p = 0.005), or with higher vs lower nicotine dependence (OR = 2.12 95%CI 1.2-3.8; p = 0.014). No factors were associated with combination NRT use at 6.5-months. CONCLUSIONS An organisational change intervention that supplied AOD services with NRT training and products to provide to clients during treatment significantly increases client single form and combination NRT use in the short term.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Flora Tzelepis
- The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Australia; Hunter New England Population Health, Wallsend, Australia
| | - Catherine D'Este
- The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia; Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Christine Paul
- The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Australia
| | | | - Peter J Kelly
- The University of Wollongong, Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, School of Psychology, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Kerrin Palazzi
- Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Australia
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Shahrabadi S, Jalali A, Jalali R, Gholami A. Psychological, social, and motivational factors in persons who use drugs. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 2020; 15:32. [PMID: 32349773 PMCID: PMC7189680 DOI: 10.1186/s13011-020-00273-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Persons who use drug need family and society's support in the process of treatment and rehabilitation. Therefore, it is imperative to determine the psychological, social, and motivational factors that can help them in the treatment process. The present study was an attempt to determine the relationship between psychological, social, and motivational factors and the demographics of persons who use drugs (PWUD). METHODS An analytical cross-sectional study was carried out. TCU psychological functioning and motivation scales for the PWUD was first translated into Farsi and validated after securing permission from the copyright holder of the tool. Participants were 250 PWUDs under methadone therapy who were selected through convenient sampling. Before analyzing the collected data, validity and reliability of the tool were confirmed using confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses. Given the scale of demographical data, descriptive and analytic statistics were used to analyze the relationship between demographical variables and psychological, social, and motivational factors. RESULTS The results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed that out of 83 statements in the original questionnaire, 55 statements categorized into 11 aspects were usable for Iranian population. The results showed that gender, income, and marital status affect psychological functioning of the PWUD (P < 0.05). However, education level, place of residence, and type of drug and consumption did not have a significant relationship with social functioning of the participants (p > 0.05). There was a significant relationship between age, number of children, and history of using drug and psychological functioning of the participants (P < 0.01). The results showed that the demographics did not have a notable effect on the participants' motivation for treatment; only marital status had a significant relationship with the participants' treatment readiness (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION As the results showed, the demographical variables could affect physical, psychological, and social functioning in the participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sana Shahrabadi
- Department of Nursing, School of Nursing, Iran Young Researchers and Elite Club, Gorgan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Amir Jalali
- Substance Abuse Prevention Research Center, Research Institute for Health, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
| | - Rostam Jalali
- Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Ali Gholami
- Department Anesthesiology, Clinical Development Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
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Des Jarlais DC, McKnight C, Arasteh K, Feelemyer J, Ross Z, Cooper HLF. Geographic distribution of risk ("Hotspots") for HIV, HCV, and drug overdose among persons who use drugs in New York City: the importance of local history. Harm Reduct J 2019; 16:53. [PMID: 31477150 PMCID: PMC6721211 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-019-0326-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS To identify geographic "hotspots" for potential transmission of HIV and HCV and for drug overdose among persons who use heroin and cocaine in New York City and to examine historical continuities in problem drug use hotspots in the city. METHODS A total of 2714 study participants were recruited among persons entering Beth Israel substance use treatment programs. A structured questionnaire was administered and blood samples for HIV and HCV testing were collected. Hotspots for potential virus transmission were defined as ZIP codes with 10+ participants, 2+ persons infected with the virus and engaging in transmission behavior, and 2+ persons not infected and engaging in acquisition behavior. ZIP codes with 3+ persons with previous overdoses were considered potential hotspots for future overdoses. RESULTS Participants resided in 166/178 (93%) of the ZIP codes in New York City. Injecting drug use was reported in 150/178 (84%) of the ZIP codes. No zip codes were identified for injecting-related HIV transmission, 5 zip codes were identified for sexual HIV transmission, 3 for HCV transmission, and 8 for drug overdose. Many of the ZIP code potential hotspots were in neighborhoods long associated with drug use: Lower Eastside and Harlem in Manhattan, the South Bronx, and Central Brooklyn. DISCUSSION Heroin and cocaine use requiring treatment were reported from almost all ZIP codes in New York City, indicating needs for widely dispersed harm reduction services. Identified hotspots should be targeted for reducing sexual transmission of HIV, transmission of HCV, and drug overdoses. Some of the hotspots have persisted as problem drug use areas for 40 to over 100 years. Monitoring of drug use patterns in historical hotspot neighborhoods may permit early identification of and response to emerging drug use-related health problems. Persistent historical hotspots for problem drug use present a complex problem for implementing harm reduction services that deserve additional research.
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Affiliation(s)
- D C Des Jarlais
- College of Global Public Health, New York University, 665 Broadway, 8th Floor, New York, NY, 10003, USA.
| | - C McKnight
- College of Global Public Health, New York University, 665 Broadway, 8th Floor, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - K Arasteh
- College of Global Public Health, New York University, 665 Broadway, 8th Floor, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - J Feelemyer
- College of Global Public Health, New York University, 665 Broadway, 8th Floor, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Zev Ross
- ZevRoss Spatial Analysis, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - H L F Cooper
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Knudsen HK, Lofwall MR, Walsh SL, Havens JR. Impact of health reform on health insurance status among persons who use opioids in eastern Kentucky: A prospective cohort analysis. Int J Drug Policy 2019; 70:8-14. [PMID: 31054372 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Health insurance improves health and reduces mortality. Expanding insurance is a central feature of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Persons who use drugs (PWUDs) have historically been at high risk of being uninsured. It is unknown if Appalachian PWUDs, who live in an extremely economically distressed region, are more likely to be insured since implementation of the ACA. METHODS Data from a cohort of 503 PWUDs from eastern Appalachian Kentucky, who were interviewed at seven time-points between 2008 and 2017, were analysed using mixed effects regression models. RESULTS At baseline, only 33.8% of participants were insured, which increased to 87.3% of the cohort at the last follow-up interview. The final multivariate model, which included baseline characteristics and interactions by time, indicated there were significant baseline differences in insurance status by gender, age, education, income, and history of injection. Differences in the predictive margin probabilities of being insured across these groups had dissipated by the final follow-up interview. CONCLUSIONS After Kentucky's implementation of the ACA, this cohort of Appalachian PWUDs made substantial gains in obtaining insurance that far exceeded the increases reported in national studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah K Knudsen
- Department of Behavioral Science and Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky, 845 Angliana Avenue, Room 204, Lexington, KY, 40508, USA.
| | - Michelle R Lofwall
- Department of Behavioral Science and Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky, 845 Angliana Avenue, Room 203, Lexington, KY, 40508, USA.
| | - Sharon L Walsh
- Department of Behavioral Science and Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky, 845 Angliana Avenue, Room 202, Lexington, KY, 40508, USA.
| | - Jennifer R Havens
- Department of Behavioral Science and Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky, 845 Angliana Avenue, Room 201, Lexington, KY, 40508, USA.
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Abstract
This analysis uses network and spatial data to identify optimal individuals to target with overdose prevention interventions in rural Appalachia. Five hundred and three rural persons who use drugs were recruited to participate in the Social Networks among Appalachian People Study (2008-2010). Interviewer-administered surveys collected information on demographic characteristics, risk behaviors (including overdose history), network members, and residential addresses. We restricted the sample to individuals with at least one confirmed relationship to another study participant (N = 463). Using dyadic analyses (N = 1428 relationships), we identified relationship-level correlates of relationships with network members who have previously overdosed. We then examined individual- and network-level factors associated with (1) having at least one first-degree alter (i.e., network member) with a prior overdose and (2) each additional network member with a prior overdose (N = 463 study participants). Overall, 28% of the sample had previously overdosed and 57% were one-degree away from someone who previously overdosed. Relationships with those who had overdosed were characterized by closer residential proximity. Those with at least one network member who previously overdosed were more geographically central and occupied more central network positions. Further, the number of network members with an overdose history increased with decreasing distance to the town center, increasing network centrality, and prior enrollment in an alcohol detox program. Because fatal overdoses can be prevented through bystander intervention, these findings suggest that strategies that target more central individuals (both geographically and based on their network positions) and those who have previously enrolled in alcohol detox programs with overdose prevention training and naloxone may optimize intervention reach and have the potential to curb overdose fatalities in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abby E Rudolph
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. .,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Temple University College of Public Health, 1301 Cecil B Moore Avenue, Ritter Annex 905, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA.
| | - April M Young
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Kentucky College of Public Health, Lexington, KY, USA.,Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Jennifer R Havens
- Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
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Rudolph AE, Young AM, Havens JR. A rural/urban comparison of privacy and confidentiality concerns associated with providing sensitive location information in epidemiologic research involving persons who use drugs. Addict Behav 2017; 74:106-111. [PMID: 28609723 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Revised: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Analyses that link contextual factors with individual-level data can improve our understanding of the "risk environment"; however, the accuracy of information provided by participants about locations where illegal/stigmatized behaviors occur may be influenced by privacy/confidentiality concerns that may vary by setting and/or data collection approach. METHODS We recruited thirty-five persons who use drugs from a rural Appalachian town and a Mid-Atlantic city to participate in in-depth interviews. Through thematic analyses, we identified and compared privacy/confidentiality concerns associated with two survey methods that (1) collect self-reported addresses/cross-streets and (2) use an interactive web-based map to find/confirm locations in rural and urban settings. RESULTS Concerns differed more by setting than between methods. For example, (1) rural participants valued interviewer rapport and protections provided by the Certificate of Confidentiality more; (2) locations considered to be sensitive differed in rural (i.e., others' homes) and urban (i.e., where drugs were used) settings; and (3) urban participants were more likely to view providing cross-streets as an acceptable alternative to providing exact addresses for sensitive locations and to prefer the web-based map approach. CONCLUSION Rural-urban differences in privacy/confidentiality concerns reflect contextual differences (i.e., where drugs are used/purchased, population density, and prior drug-related arrests). Strategies to alleviate concerns include: (1) obtain a Certificate of Confidentiality, (2) collect geographic data at the scale necessary for proposed analyses, and (3) permit participants to provide intersections/landmarks in close proximity to actual locations rather than exact addresses or to skip questions where providing an intersection/landmark would not obfuscate the actual address.
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Arain A, De Sousa J, Corten K, Verrando R, Thijs H, Mathei C, Buntinx F, Robaeys G. Pilot Study: Combining Formal and Peer Education with FibroScan to Increase HCV Screening and Treatment in Persons who use Drugs. J Subst Abuse Treat 2016; 67:44-9. [PMID: 27296661 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsat.2016.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Revised: 04/07/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Treatment uptake for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains low in persons who inject drugs (PWID), due to lack of knowledge and low perceived need for treatment. Therefore, we conducted a pilot study to assess the influence on knowledge and willingness for HCV screening and treatment among persons who use drugs (PWUD) by combining formal and peer education with FibroScan measurement. METHODS Clients of the Center for Alcohol and other Drug problems (CAD) in Limburg (Belgium) were randomized into a control group, which received the standard of care, and an intervention group, which received an innovative combination of formal and peer education followed by FibroScan. Knowledge of HCV infection and willingness for screening and treatment were evaluated at baseline, after intervention and 1 and 3months after intervention by means of questionnaires. RESULTS Baseline knowledge was similar for the control (n=27) and the intervention group (n=25) (58 vs. 59%; p=0.67). Immediately after the information session, knowledge increased to 86% (p<0.001) in the intervention group. After 3months, knowledge decreased significantly (69%; p=0.01). No significant changes in knowledge were found in the control group. Baseline willingness for treatment was 81% in both the control and intervention groups, but after 1 month decreased in the control group (44%) and remained stable in the intervention group (75%). Differences in actual screening uptake between the control and intervention group were not significant (7% vs. 20%). Four percent of the intervention group and no one in the control group started treatment. CONCLUSION The small number of subjects should be considered when interpreting the results of this study. In brief, the single information session significantly improved HCV knowledge among PWUD, but did not result in a higher uptake for screening and treatment. This could signify that there are other important reasons, besides lack of knowledge, not to undergo screening or start treatment. The fact that knowledge decreased after 3months indicates that it would be beneficial to repeat the information session regularly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber Arain
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Genk, Belgium; Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universiteit Hasselt, Hasselt, Belgium.
| | - Jessica De Sousa
- Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universiteit Hasselt, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Kirsten Corten
- Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universiteit Hasselt, Hasselt, Belgium
| | | | | | - Catharina Mathei
- Free Clinic, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Public Health and Primary Care KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frank Buntinx
- Department of General Practice, KU Leuven, Belgium and Maastricht University, The Netherlands
| | - Geert Robaeys
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Genk, Belgium; Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universiteit Hasselt, Hasselt, Belgium; Department of Hepatology, University Hospitals KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Lewis CF, Rivera AV, Crawford ND, Gordon K, White K, Vlahov D, Galea S. Individual and Neighborhood Characteristics Associated with HIV Among Black and Latino Adults Who Use Drugs and Unaware of Their HIV-Positive Status, New York City, 2000-2004. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2015; 3:573-581. [PMID: 27294761 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-015-0176-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Revised: 10/05/2015] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
With mounting evidence of how neighborhood socioeconomic context influences individual behavior, investigation of neighborhood social context and sex/drug use risk behavior could help explain and provide insight into solutions to solve persistent racial disparities in HIV. Interviewer-administered surveys and HIV testing among street-recruited individuals who reported illicit drug use in New York City were conducted from 2000 to 2004. Individuals were geocoded to census tracts, and generalized estimating equations were used to determine correlates of being newly diagnosed with HIV at study enrollment. Analyses were completed in 2014. Of the 920 participants, 10.5 % were HIV-positive, and among those, 45 % were diagnosed at study enrollment. After restricting the sample to those who self-reported negative HIV status (n = 867), 72 % were male, 65 % Latino, and 5.1 % tested HIV-positive. After adjustment, those testing HIV-positive were more likely to report male same-sex partnership (p < 0.01) and less likely to be homeless compared with those confirmed HIV-negative (p < 0.01). Neighborhood-adjusted models indicated those from neighborhoods with less deprivation (p < 0.05), and a higher proportion of owner-occupied homes (p < 0.01) were more likely to test HIV-positive. Additionally, Black individuals who used drugs and were from neighborhoods with a higher proportion of Black residents were more likely to be newly diagnosed compared to Latino individuals who used drugs and were from neighborhoods with lower proportions of Black residents (p < 0.05). These data suggest that HIV prevention and treatment efforts should continue widening its reach to those unaware of their HIV infection, namely men who have sex with men, heavy, drug-involved Black communities, and both Black and Latino communities from relatively less disadvantaged neighborhoods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal Fuller Lewis
- Division of Social Solutions and Services Research, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, State of New York Office of Mental Health, 140 Orangeburg Road, Bldg. #35, N202, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Alexis V Rivera
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Natalie D Crawford
- Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kirsha Gordon
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kellee White
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - David Vlahov
- School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sandro Galea
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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Semaan S, Leinhos M, Neumann MS. Public health strategies for prevention and control of HSV-2 in persons who use drugs in the United States. Drug Alcohol Depend 2013; 131:182-97. [PMID: 23647730 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2012] [Revised: 03/21/2013] [Accepted: 03/21/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) affects HIV acquisition, transmission, and disease progression. Effective medications for genital herpes and for HIV/AIDS exist. Parenteral transmission of HIV among persons who inject drugs is decreasing. Reducing sexual transmission of HIV and HSV-2 among persons who use drugs (PWUD; i.e., heroin, cocaine, "speedball", crack, methamphetamine through injection or non-injection) necessitates relevant services. METHODS We reviewed HSV-2 sero-epidemiology and HSV-2/HIV associations in U.S.-based studies with PWUD and the general literature on HSV-2 prevention and treatment published between 1995 and 2012. We used the 6-factor Kass framework to assess relevant HSV-2 public health strategies and services in terms of their goals and effectiveness; identification of, and minimization of burdens and concerns; fair implementation; and fair balancing of benefits, burdens, and concerns. RESULTS Eleven studies provided HSV-2 serologic test results. High HSV-2 sero-prevalence (range across studies 38-75%) and higher sero-prevalence in HIV-infected PWUD (97-100% in females; 61-74% in males) were reported. Public health strategies for HSV-2 prevention and control in PWUD can include screening or testing; knowledge of HSV-2 status and partner disclosure; education, counseling, and psychosocial risk-reduction interventions; treatment for genital herpes; and HIV antiretroviral medications for HSV-2/HIV co-infected PWUD. CONCLUSIONS HSV-2 sero-prevalence is high among PWUD, necessitating research on development and implementation of science-based public health interventions for HSV-2 infection and HSV-2/HIV co-infections, including research on effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of such interventions, to inform development and implementation of services for PWUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salaam Semaan
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Office of the Director, 1600 Clifton Road, NE, E-07, Atlanta, GA 30333, United States.
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