TY - JOUR
T1 - Individual and network factors associated with HCV treatment uptake among people who inject drugs
AU - Falade-Nwulia, Oluwaseun
AU - Sacamano, Paul
AU - McCormick, Sean D.
AU - Yang, Cui
AU - Kirk, Greg
AU - Thomas, David
AU - Sulkowski, Mark
AU - Latkin, Carl
AU - Mehta, Shruti H.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was funded in part by the following National Institutes of Health grants: DA036927 , DA048063 , K23DA041294 , K24DA034621 , R37DA013806 , R01DA16065 , and U01DA036935 .
Funding Information:
This research was facilitated by the infrastructure and resources provided by a Doris Duke Early Clinician Investigator award and the Johns Hopkins University Center for AIDS Research, a National Institutes of Health funded program [grant number P30AI094189]), which is supported by the following National Institutes of Health Co-Funding and Participating Institutes and Centers: NIAID, NCI, NICHD, NHLBI, NIDA, NIMH, NIA, FIC, NIGMS, NIDDK, and OAR. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2020/4
Y1 - 2020/4
N2 - Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment uptake among people who inject drugs (PWID), a population with disproportionately high rates of HCV, remains low. Peers have been shown to positively impact a broad range of health outcomes for PWID. There is, however, limited data on the impact of PWID social network members on HCV treatment. Methods: HCV-infected PWID enrolled in an ongoing community-based cohort were recruited as “indexes” to complete an egocentric social network survey. The survey elicited from the index PWID a list of their network members and the index's perception of network member characteristics. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to compare individual and network factors associated with HCV treatment in the index PWID. Results: Among 540 HCV-infected PWID, the mean age was 55.7 years and the majority were black (87.2%) and male (69.8%). PWID reported a mean of 4.4 (standard deviation [SD] 3.2) network members, most of whom were relatives (mean 2.2 [SD 1.5]). In multivariable analysis, increasing index age and HIV infection were positively associated with HCV treatment, while drug use and homelessness in the preceding 6 months were negatively associated with HCV treatment. From a network perspective, having at least one network member who regularly talked with the index about seeing their doctor for HIV care was associated with HCV treatment (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 2.7; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) [1.3, 5.6]). Conversely, PWID who had at least one network member who helped them understand their HCV care were less likely to have been HCV treated (AOR 0.2; CI [0.1, 0.6). Conclusion: HCV treatment uptake in this group of PWID appeared to be positively influenced by discussions with network members living with HIV who were in care and negatively influenced by HCV information sharing within PWID networks. These findings underscore the influence of peers on health seeking behaviors of their network members and emphasizes the importance of well-informed peers.
AB - Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment uptake among people who inject drugs (PWID), a population with disproportionately high rates of HCV, remains low. Peers have been shown to positively impact a broad range of health outcomes for PWID. There is, however, limited data on the impact of PWID social network members on HCV treatment. Methods: HCV-infected PWID enrolled in an ongoing community-based cohort were recruited as “indexes” to complete an egocentric social network survey. The survey elicited from the index PWID a list of their network members and the index's perception of network member characteristics. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to compare individual and network factors associated with HCV treatment in the index PWID. Results: Among 540 HCV-infected PWID, the mean age was 55.7 years and the majority were black (87.2%) and male (69.8%). PWID reported a mean of 4.4 (standard deviation [SD] 3.2) network members, most of whom were relatives (mean 2.2 [SD 1.5]). In multivariable analysis, increasing index age and HIV infection were positively associated with HCV treatment, while drug use and homelessness in the preceding 6 months were negatively associated with HCV treatment. From a network perspective, having at least one network member who regularly talked with the index about seeing their doctor for HIV care was associated with HCV treatment (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 2.7; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) [1.3, 5.6]). Conversely, PWID who had at least one network member who helped them understand their HCV care were less likely to have been HCV treated (AOR 0.2; CI [0.1, 0.6). Conclusion: HCV treatment uptake in this group of PWID appeared to be positively influenced by discussions with network members living with HIV who were in care and negatively influenced by HCV information sharing within PWID networks. These findings underscore the influence of peers on health seeking behaviors of their network members and emphasizes the importance of well-informed peers.
KW - Barriers
KW - Facilitators
KW - Hepatitis C
KW - Informational support
KW - People who inject drugs
KW - Social network
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U2 - 10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102714
DO - 10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102714
M3 - Article
C2 - 32135398
AN - SCOPUS:85080035885
VL - 78
JO - International Journal of Drug Policy
JF - International Journal of Drug Policy
SN - 0955-3959
M1 - 102714
ER -