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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Dita Broz, MPH and Lawrence J. Ouellet, PhD. Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health, 1603 West Taylor St, MC 923, Chicago, IL 60612, 312-355-4753, dbroz2@uic.edu

Objective: Examine recent patterns of heroin injection in Chicago. Methods: We examined injection trends using 3 data sources, the Chicago Treatment Episodes Data Set (TEDS) and two longitudinal studies that simultaneously recruited young injection drug users (IDU) 15-30 years (n=796) and non-injecting heroin users (NIHU) 16-30 years (n=649) in metropolitan Chicago, 2002-2004. Participants in the two studies completed computerized self-administered interviews during scheduled visits. Results: Annual admissions for primary heroin use treatment increased from 12% to 25% of all admissions, 1992-2003. Among heroin users, the proportion of African-American (AA) injectors decreased from 49% to 38%, but increased for non-Hispanic Whites (NHW) from 36% to 44% during this period. In 1992, the age distribution for both AA and NHW peaked at 35-39 years. By 2003, AA injectors were older (50-54 years) and NHW younger (21-24 years). In our young IDU study, only 3% were AA and 80% were NHW, despite recruiting in African-American neighborhoods. Conversely, 53% of NIHU participants were AA, while 21% were NHW. Median age was 23 and 26 years in the IDU and NIHU studies, respectively. In the NIHU study, former IDUs (18%) were more likely to be NHW than AA (X²=17.3, p<0.001). Transitions to drug injection by NIHU within 12 months after baseline were more likely among NHW than other racial/ethnic groups (AOR = 5.1, 95% CI 2.2-11.5). Conclusions: Heroin injectors are an aging cohort among African-Americans, while becoming younger among Whites. Among NIHU, AA are at low risk and NHW at high risk of initiating injection.

Learning Objectives:

• Examine trends over time in the mode of heroin administration
• Determine demographic characteristics of injection and non-injection heroin users
• Define high-risk groups for targeted interventions aimed at preventing drug injection and associated co-morbidity

Keywords: Injecting Drug Use,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation