Abstract
Background: Rural communities in the United States have been disproportionately affected by the opioid crisis. Little research has explored the relationship between polysubstance use and overdose experiences among people who inject drugs (PWID) in rural communities. We sought to identify classes of polysubstance drug use among rural PWID and evaluate the associations between polysubstance drug use classes, recent overdose experiences, and receipt of take-home naloxone (THN). Methods: We surveyed 420 PWID (June-July 2018) who had injected drugs in the previous 6 months in Cabell County, West Virginia. Participants were recruited from the local syringe services program and through street-based recruitment. We conducted a latent class analysis using 9 measures of injection and non-injection drug use and tested for associations with having experienced an overdose in the past 6 months and having received THN in the past 6 months. Results: We identified four substance use classes in our sample: polydrug/polyroute use (35.0% of the sample), polyroute stimulant/injection opioid use (33.3%), polyroute stimulant use (20.3%), and injection opioid use (11.3%). Overall, 42.6% of the sample had experienced an overdose in the past 6 months. The classes differed in terms of overdose (χ=91.53, p<0.001), with the polydrug/polyroute use class having the highest probability of overdose and the polyroute stimulants class having the lowest. Only 46.5% of participants had received THN, and probabilities differed between classes (χ=21.93, p<0.001). The polyroute stimulants/injection opioid use and polydrug/polyroute use classes had the highest levels of THN receipt while the polyroute stimulants use class had the least. Conclusion: Among rural PWID in West Virginia, polysubstance use was prevalent and associated with overdose and THN acquisition. These analyses demonstrate the importance of scaling up naloxone distribution in rural settings. Overdose prevention initiatives are reaching persons at high risk of overdose, but expansion of services is needed.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | 102642 |
| Journal | International Journal of Drug Policy |
| Volume | 76 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 2020 |
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Keywords
- Latent class analysis
- People who inject drugs
- Polysubstance use
- Rural drug use
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Health Policy
Cite this
Polysubstance use in rural West Virginia : Associations between latent classes of drug use, overdose, and take-home naloxone. / Schneider, Kristin E.; O'Rourke, Allison; White, Rebecca Hamilton; Park, Ju Nyeong; Musci, Raschelle J.; Kilkenny, Michael E.; Sherman, Susan G.; Allen, Sean T.
In: International Journal of Drug Policy, Vol. 76, 102642, 02.2020.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Polysubstance use in rural West Virginia
T2 - Associations between latent classes of drug use, overdose, and take-home naloxone
AU - Schneider, Kristin E.
AU - O'Rourke, Allison
AU - White, Rebecca Hamilton
AU - Park, Ju Nyeong
AU - Musci, Raschelle J.
AU - Kilkenny, Michael E.
AU - Sherman, Susan G.
AU - Allen, Sean T.
PY - 2020/2
Y1 - 2020/2
N2 - Background: Rural communities in the United States have been disproportionately affected by the opioid crisis. Little research has explored the relationship between polysubstance use and overdose experiences among people who inject drugs (PWID) in rural communities. We sought to identify classes of polysubstance drug use among rural PWID and evaluate the associations between polysubstance drug use classes, recent overdose experiences, and receipt of take-home naloxone (THN). Methods: We surveyed 420 PWID (June-July 2018) who had injected drugs in the previous 6 months in Cabell County, West Virginia. Participants were recruited from the local syringe services program and through street-based recruitment. We conducted a latent class analysis using 9 measures of injection and non-injection drug use and tested for associations with having experienced an overdose in the past 6 months and having received THN in the past 6 months. Results: We identified four substance use classes in our sample: polydrug/polyroute use (35.0% of the sample), polyroute stimulant/injection opioid use (33.3%), polyroute stimulant use (20.3%), and injection opioid use (11.3%). Overall, 42.6% of the sample had experienced an overdose in the past 6 months. The classes differed in terms of overdose (χ=91.53, p<0.001), with the polydrug/polyroute use class having the highest probability of overdose and the polyroute stimulants class having the lowest. Only 46.5% of participants had received THN, and probabilities differed between classes (χ=21.93, p<0.001). The polyroute stimulants/injection opioid use and polydrug/polyroute use classes had the highest levels of THN receipt while the polyroute stimulants use class had the least. Conclusion: Among rural PWID in West Virginia, polysubstance use was prevalent and associated with overdose and THN acquisition. These analyses demonstrate the importance of scaling up naloxone distribution in rural settings. Overdose prevention initiatives are reaching persons at high risk of overdose, but expansion of services is needed.
AB - Background: Rural communities in the United States have been disproportionately affected by the opioid crisis. Little research has explored the relationship between polysubstance use and overdose experiences among people who inject drugs (PWID) in rural communities. We sought to identify classes of polysubstance drug use among rural PWID and evaluate the associations between polysubstance drug use classes, recent overdose experiences, and receipt of take-home naloxone (THN). Methods: We surveyed 420 PWID (June-July 2018) who had injected drugs in the previous 6 months in Cabell County, West Virginia. Participants were recruited from the local syringe services program and through street-based recruitment. We conducted a latent class analysis using 9 measures of injection and non-injection drug use and tested for associations with having experienced an overdose in the past 6 months and having received THN in the past 6 months. Results: We identified four substance use classes in our sample: polydrug/polyroute use (35.0% of the sample), polyroute stimulant/injection opioid use (33.3%), polyroute stimulant use (20.3%), and injection opioid use (11.3%). Overall, 42.6% of the sample had experienced an overdose in the past 6 months. The classes differed in terms of overdose (χ=91.53, p<0.001), with the polydrug/polyroute use class having the highest probability of overdose and the polyroute stimulants class having the lowest. Only 46.5% of participants had received THN, and probabilities differed between classes (χ=21.93, p<0.001). The polyroute stimulants/injection opioid use and polydrug/polyroute use classes had the highest levels of THN receipt while the polyroute stimulants use class had the least. Conclusion: Among rural PWID in West Virginia, polysubstance use was prevalent and associated with overdose and THN acquisition. These analyses demonstrate the importance of scaling up naloxone distribution in rural settings. Overdose prevention initiatives are reaching persons at high risk of overdose, but expansion of services is needed.
KW - Latent class analysis
KW - People who inject drugs
KW - Polysubstance use
KW - Rural drug use
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85077453758&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85077453758&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.102642
DO - 10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.102642
M3 - Article
C2 - 31918401
AN - SCOPUS:85077453758
VL - 76
JO - International Journal of Drug Policy
JF - International Journal of Drug Policy
SN - 0955-3959
M1 - 102642
ER -