247331 Geographic differences in substance use and addiction severity among patients receiving Methadone Maintenance Treatment in China

Tuesday, November 1, 2011: 10:50 AM

Ching-Yi Peng, MS , Department of Community Health Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Yen-Jung Chang, MS , Department of Community Health Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Julie Hsieh, MPH , Department of Epidemiology, UCLA School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
Yih-ing Hser, PhD , Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, Los Angeles, CA
     
Background: This study examined differences in substance use and addiction severity among MMT patients in Shanghai and Kunming, China.

Methods: We collected data from 320 newly admitted MMT patients in 2009-2010. Geographic differences were explored with regards to a variety of substance use in the past 30 days and the Addiction Severity Index was administered to assess addiction related problems.

Results: Similar proportions of patients in these two sites reported using heroin in the past 30 days when admitted to MMT (98% in Kunming vs. 99% in Shanghai). Significantly more patients in Kunming reported using alcohol (28% vs. 12%) and other drugs (14% vs. 6%) in the past 30 days as compared to patients in Shanghai. In addition, patients in Kunming also demonstrated significantly greater severity in the domain of employment while their counterparts in Shanghai reported greater severity in regards to family, psychiatric and legal problems. There is no difference in the domain of medical problem between patients in these two sites. However, more patients in Shanghai than in Kunming reported having mental problems (13% vs. 3%) or family conflict (8% vs.3%) in the past 30 days.

Conclusions: Overall, patients in Kunming had greater severity in regards to substance use while patients in Shanghai had more psychosocial problems. The findings suggest specific and localized treatment services have to be designed and implemented to address MMT patients' needs in different geographic areas.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Program planning
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Identify geographic differences in substance use and service needs among MMT patients in China.

Keywords: Drug Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I did the analysis and wrote the abstract.
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.

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