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

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

 

No cocktail use

Moderate use

Intensive use

Significancea(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 schoolb

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, yearsc

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

 
  1. 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.