‘South Asian cocktail’ - the concurrent use of opioids, benzodiazepines and antihistamines among injecting drug users in Nepal and associations with HIV risk behaviour

Table 1 Sample characteristics and drug use history of the drug users in Kathmandu Valley ( N = 300)

	No cocktail use	Moderate use	Intensive use	Significance^a(χ², ANOVA)
Gender	74.4% x, y	91.2% x	94.8% y	χ² = 16.6, p < .001
Age, years	28.1 (±6.7)	27.6 (±6.2) z	29.6 (±6.1) z	F = 3.5, p < .05
Currently in OST	18.6%	20.6%	21.3%	χ² = 0.1, p = .928
Education level
Primary school^b	18.6% y	23.5%	32.9% y	χ² = 12.4, p < .05
Secondary school	32.6% y	48.0%	43.2% y
High school	48.8% y	28.4%	23.9% y
Stable living situation	100.0%	96.1%	98.7%	χ² = 3.2, p = .202
Employment
Working/student	60.5%	56.9%	57.4%	χ² = 2.8, p = .593
Unemployed	25.6%	36.3%	32.9%
Household/other	14.0%	6.9%	9.7%
Ever injected drugs	67.4% x, y	100.0% x	100.0% y	χ² = 87.8, p < .001
Length of injecting drug use, years	8.5 (±6.6)	8.4 (±5.5)	10.1 (±6.1)	F = 2.9, p = .057
Length of cocktail use, years^c	7.8 (±6.5)	8.0 (±5.0)	9.2 (±5.6)	F = 1.7, p = .191
Length of heroin use, years	9.9 (±6.0)	11.0 (±6.3)	12.2 (±6.2)	F = 2.4, p = .090
Serious health problems	4.7% x, y	20.6% x	23.2% y	χ² = 7.4, p < .05
HIV positive (among tested)	26.9%	24.2%	38.5%	χ² = 4.5, p = .108
HCV positive (among tested)	38.9%	58.3%	63.9%	χ² = 3.8, p = .147
Co-infection	18.6% y	31.4% z	47.7% y, z	χ² = 15.0, p < .001
Physical health (MAP score, 0–4)	1.4 (±0.4)	1.4 (±0.4)	1.3 (±0.5)	F = 1.5, p = .217
Mental health (MAP score, 0–4)	1.7 (±0.7)	1.7 (±0.7) z	2.0 (±0.8) z	F = 4.6, p < .05
N	43	102	155

^aThe characters x, y and z indicate significant differences between groups according to post hoc statistical tests. ^bPrimary school or lower. ^cIn the group without cocktail use, the number of years is related to former periods of concurrent use of opioids, benzodiazepines and antihistamines and/or other drugs.

ISSN: 1477-7517