240208 Factors associated with outpatient methadone maintenance treatment retention among Hispanic injection drug users

Tuesday, November 1, 2011: 3:10 PM

René R. Dávila-Torres, MS, DBA, PhD , Maternal and Child Health Program, Puerto Rico School of Public Health, San Juan, PR
Gary J. Burkholder, PhD , Senior Research Scholar, Center for Research Support, Walden University, Minneapolis, MN
Margarita Alegria, PhD , Psychiatry--Center for Multicultural MH Research, Harvard Medical School, Somerville, MA
Maria Rangel, PhD , College of Health Sciences, Waldenu University, Minneapolis, MN
William M. Barkley, PhD , School of Health Sciences and School of Counseling and Social Services, Walden University, Minneapolis, MN
Given a lack of research in this area, there is an urgent need to understand the underlying causes of substance abuse related health disparities and the factors related to completion of treatment among Hispanics minorities. This study, based on the behavioral model for vulnerable populations (BMVP), used the California Drug and Alcohol Treatment Assessment (CALDATA) to examine what factors were associated with outpatient methadone maintenance retention (defined as sucessful treatment completion) among Hispanic injection drug users (IDUs). Archival data was collected from 291 Hispanic patients in methadone maintenance treatment who participated in the CALDATA . A hierarchical logistic regression was performed to assess the relative importance of factors related to treatment completion. Results show that 47.4% of the Hispanic sample did not complete successful methadone maintence tratment. Factors associated with successful treatment completion included paying out of pocket for treatment, receiving counseling services, not using alcohol as a main drug, higher methadone dose, and living in stable housing. The findings suggests the importance of ancilliary services and supports to reduce Hispanics' higher risk of attrition from methadone maintenance programs.

Learning Areas:
Program planning

Learning Objectives:
Describe the factors associated with the BMVP and how they are related to successful retention in a methadone maintenance program. Identify the enabling, predisposing, and need factors that were associated with successful treatment completion among this sample of Hispanic IDU. Explain the factors that explained the most unique variance. Identify several ways the findings can be applied to improve treatment retention.

Keywords: Drug Addiction, Drug Injectors

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I'm principal investigator
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.