Table 1 Factors associated with injection drug use among street-involved youth (n = 560).
From: Injection drug use among street-involved youth in a Canadian setting
Characteristic | Yes n = 230 (41.1%) | No n = 330 (58.9%) | Odds Ratio (95% CI) | p- value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median age | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   ≥ 22 years | 82 (35.6) | 197 (59.7) | 2.67 (1.89–3.79) | <0.001 |
   < 22 years | 148 (64.4) | 133 (40.3) |  |  |
Gender | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Female | 67 (29.1) | 112 (33.9) | 0.80 (0.56–1.15) | 0.233 |
   Male | 163 (70.9) | 218 (66.1) |  |  |
Aboriginal ethnicity | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Yes | 51 (22.2) | 80 (24.2) | 0.89 (0.60–1.33) | 0.570 |
   No | 179 (77.8) | 250 (75.8) |  |  |
Incarceration | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Yes | 197 (85.7) | 246 (74.5) | 2.04 (1.31–3.18) | <0.001 |
   No | 33 (14.3) | 84 (25.5) |  |  |
Sex work | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Yes | 74 (32.2) | 47 (14.2) | 2.86 (1.89–4.32) | <0.001 |
   No | 156 (67.8) | 283 (85.8) |  |  |
Drug dealing | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Yes | 187 (81.3) | 241 (73.0) | 1.61 (1.10–2.42) | 0.023 |
   No | 43 (18.7) | 89 (27.0) |  |  |
Warrants* | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Yes | 60 (26.0) | 61 (18.5) | 1.56 (1.03–2.33) | 0.037 |
   No | 170 (74.0) | 269 (81.5) |  |  |
Overdose | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Yes | 107 (46.5) | 79 (23.9) | 2.76 (1.92–3.97) | <0.001 |
   No | 123 (53.5) | 251 (76.1) |  |  |
HCV-positiveâ€
| Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Yes | 62 (26.9) | 4 (1.2) | 29.51(10.55–82.53) | <0.001 |
   No | 167 (72.6) | 318 (96.4) |  |  |
HIV-positive‡
| Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Yes | 7 (3.0) | 8 (2.4) | 1.64 (0.58–4.61) | 0.427 |
   No | 221 (96.1) | 319 (96.7) |  |  |
- * Warrants refers to having a warrant for arrest
- †HCV refer to hepatitis C virus
- ‡ HIV refers to human immunodeficiency virus
-
Values do not add up to 100% due to missing tests results