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Table 1 Baseline, bivariate and multivariable analyses of factors associated with a history of being in government care among street-involved youth in Vancouver, Canada (n = 937)

From: High prevalence of exposure to the child welfare system among street-involved youth in a Canadian setting: implications for policy and practice

 

Government care exposure

   

Characteristic

Yes

No

Odds ratio, (95% CIa)

p-value

Adjusted odds ratio, (95% CIa)

p-value

n = 455, n(%)

n = 482 n(%)

Age at first substance use

15b

16b

1.12 (1.06 – 1.18)

<0.001

1.10 (1.05 – 1.16)

<0.001

  Per year younger

(13–16)c

(14–17)c

    

Gender

      

  Female vs. Male

157 (35)

135 (28)

1.35 (1.03 – 1.79)

0.032

  

Aboriginal ancestry

      

  Yes vs. No

139 (31)

85 (18)

2.05 (1.51 – 2.80)

<0.001

2.07 (1.50 – 2.85)

<0.001

High school incompletion

      

  Yes vs. No

375 (82)

346 (72)

1.84 (1.35 – 2.52)

<0.001

1.40 (1.00 – 1.95)

0.049

Parental alcohol/ Substance use

      

  Yes vs. No

354 (78)

320 (66)

1.77 (1.33 – 2.37)

<0.001

1.48 (1.09 – 2.01)

0.012

Lives in the DTES d

      

  Yes vs. No

124 (27)

139 (29)

0.92 (0.70 – 1.23)

0.590

  

Homeless d

      

  Yes vs. No

349 (77)

352 (73)

1.22 (0.90 – 1.64)

0.200

  

Injection substance use d

      

  Yes vs. No

132 (29)

150 (31)

0.91 (0.68 - 1.20)

0.482

  

Daily heroin use d, e

      

  Yes vs. No

49 (11)

68 (14)

0.74 (0.50 – 1.09)

0.123

  

Daily cocaine use e

      

  Yes vs. No

19 (4)

21 (4)

0.96 (0.51 – 1.80)

0.891

  

Daily crack use d

      

  Yes vs. No

85 (19)

87 (18)

1.04 (0.75 – 1.45)

0.803

  

Daily crystal meth use e

      

  Yes vs. No

72 (16)

54 (11)

1.49 (1.02 – 2.18)

0.039

  

Drug overdose d

      

  Yes vs. No

58 (13)

46 (10)

1.39 (0.92 – 2.09)

0.120

  

Hepatitis C positive

      

  Yes vs. No

90 (20)

64 (13)

1.61 (1.14 – 2.29)

0.008

1.36 (0.94 – 1.97)

0.099

Syringe sharing d

      

  Yes vs. No

38 (8)

37 (8)

1.10 (0.68 – 1.76)

0.703

  

Victim of violence d

      

  Yes vs. No

214 (47)

210 (44)

1.15 (0.89 – 1.49)

0.287

  

Incarcerated d

      

  Yes vs. No

96 (21)

86 (18)

1.23 (0.89 – 1.70)

0.208

  

Physical abuse

      

  Yes vs. No

413 (91)

397 (82)

2.11 (1.42 – 3.12)

<0.001

1.90 (1.22 – 2.96)

0.005

Sexual abuse

      

  Yes vs. No

345 (76)

317 (66)

1.63 (1.23 – 2.17)

<0.001

1.29 (0.93 – 1.78)

0.124

Sex work d

      

  Yes vs. No

54 (12)

43 (9)

1.38 (0.90 – 2.10)

0.140

  

Drug dealing d

      

  Yes vs. No

254 (56)

255 (53)

1.13 (0.87 – 1.46)

0.370

  
  1. Note: aCI = Confidence Interval; bMedian; cInterquartile Range; dRefers to activities in the past six months; eInjection and Non-injection.