Skip to main content

Table 1 Socio-demographic, medical and injection behaviors by age and chronic wound status †

From: Self-care and risk reduction habits in older injection drug users with chronic wounds: a cross-sectional study

 

All participants

Outcome group ≥45 years, with chronic wound

Reference group #1 <45 years, no chronic wound

Reference group #2 ≥45 years, no chronic wound

Reference group #3 < 45 years, with chronic wound

Description

No. (%)

No. (%)

No. (%)

p a

No. (%)

p a

No. (%)

p a

N = 152

N = 18

N = 61

N = 61

N = 12

All participants (N = 152)

152 (100.0)

18 (11.8)

61 (40.1)

…

61 (40.1)

…

12 (7.9)

…

Ageb,c

45; (35–52)

55; (46–58)

33; (28–39)

<0.001*

52; (49–57)

0.579

40; (35–42)

<0.001*

Gender

        

 Male

96 (63.2)

11 (61.1)

31 (50.8)

0.442

48 (78.7)

0.131

6 (50.0)

0.548

 Female

56 (36.8)

7 (38.9)

30 (49.2)

0.442

13 (21.3)

0.131

6 (50.0)

0.548

Race

        

 Caucasian

75 (49.3)

4 (22.2)

47 (77.1)

<0.001*

16 (26.2)

0.701

8 (66.7)

0.015*

 African American

68 (44.7)

13 (72.2)

9 (14.8)

<0.001*

44 (72.1)

0.926

2 (16.7)

0.003*

 Native American

4 (2.6)

1 (5.6)

1 (1.6)

0.379

0 (0.0)

0.063

2 (16.7)

0.322

 Other or Multipled

5 (3.3)

0 (0.0)

4 (6.6)

0.263

1 (1.6)

0.589

0 (0.0)

…

Housinge

        

 Stable

113 (74.3)

17 (94.4)

41 (67.2)

0.022*

47 (77.1)

0.100

8 (66.7)

0.046*

 Unstable

39 (25.7)

1 (5.6)

20 (32.8)

0.022*

14 (23.0)

0.100

4 (33.3)

0.046*

Exchange site

        

 Site A

54 (35.5)

9 (50.0)

10 (16.4)

0.003*

34 (55.7)

0.670

1 (8.3)

0.018*

 Site B

72 (47.4)

5 (27.8)

40 (65.6)

0.004*

18 (29.5)

0.889

9 (75.0)

0.011*

 Site C

5 (3.3)

0 (0.0)

4 (6.6)

0.263

0 (0.0)

–

1 (8.3)

0.214

 Other

21 (13.8)

4 (22.2)

7 (11.5)

0.249

9 (14.8)

0.457

1 (8.3)

0.316

Jail/prison - past 6 months

45 (29.6)

1 (5.6)

28 (45.9)

0.002*

12 (19.7)

0.157

4 (33.3)

0.046*

Years injecting drugs

        

 ≤2

15 (9.9)

0 (0.0)

12 (19.7)

0.041*

2 (3.3)

0.435

1 (8.3)

0.214

 3 – 8

25 (16.4)

0 (0.0)

18 (29.5)

0.009*

5 (8.2)

0.209

2 (16.7)

0.073

 9 – 14

20 (13.2)

1 (5.6)

12 (19.7)

0.157

5 (8.2)

0.715

2 (16.7)

0.322

 ≥15

92 (60.5)

17 (94.4)

19 (31.2)

<0.001*

49 (80.3)

0.157

7 (58.3)

0.016*

Injection site location

        

 Arm

92 (60.5)

7 (38.9)

38 (62.3)

0.078

39 (63.9)

0.059

8 (66.7)

0.136

 Leg

37 (24.3)

11 (61.1)

8 (13.1)

<0.001*

16 (26.2)

0.006*

2 (16.7)

0.016*

 Neck

17 (11.2)

4 (22.2)

10 (16.4)

0.571

2 (3.3)

0.008*

1 (8.3)

0.317

Drug treatment programf

36 (23.7)

8 (53.3)

12 (20.7)

0.012*

15 (25.4)

0.037*

1 (11.1)

0.039*

Using cigarette filterg

65 (42.8)

2 (11.8)

31 (51.7)

0.003*

28 (46.7)

0.009*

4 (40.0)

0.089

Using needles (# of times)h

3; 1 – 4

1; 1 – 3

3; 2 – 7

<0.001*

2; 1 – 3

0.021*

3; 2 – 3

0.112

Clean needles upon reusei

        

 Water

56 (50.5)

1 (12.5)

29 (60.4)

0.012*

23 (51.1)

0.043*

3 (30.0)

0.375

 Bleach

55 (49.5)

7 (87.5)

19 (39.6)

0.012*

22 (48.9)

0.043*

7 (70.0)

0.375

Cleaning injection sitej

        

 Do not clean

35 (23.0)

4 (22.2)

13 (21.3)

0.935

12 (19.7)

0.817

6 (50.0)

0.114

 Water

12 (7.9)

0 (0.0)

4 (6.6)

0.263

7 (11.5)

0.132

1 (8.3)

0.214

 Soap/water

14 (9.2)

0 (0.0)

9 (14.8)

0.083

4 (6.6)

0.263

1 (8.3)

0.214

 Alcohol

83 (54.6)

13 (72.2)

33 (54.1)

0.171

34 (55.7)

0.210

3 (25.0)

0.011*

 Multiple or other

8 (5.3)

1 (5.6)

2 (3.3)

0.655

4 (6.6)

0.879

1 (8.3)

0.772

Medical care provider

        

 Clinic

48 (31.6)

9 (50.0)

14 (23.0)

0.027*

23 (37.7)

0.350

2 (16.7)

0.064

 Private doctor

14 (9.2)

1 (5.6)

5 (8.2)

0.715

6 (9.8)

0.581

2 (16.7)

0.322

 Emergency room

85 (55.9)

8 (44.4)

42 (68.9)

0.058

28 (45.9)

0.911

7 (58.3)

0.456

 Other

5 (3.3)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

–

4 (6.6)

0.263

1 (8.3)

0.214

  1. † All numbers have been rounded to nearest decimal place.
  2. ap values refer to the comparison between the Reference group and the Outcome Group. p value for "Age" was obtained using two-group mean comparison t-test. All other p values were obtained using two-group proportion t-test.
  3. bContinuous variable.
  4. cMedian; (Interquartile range).
  5. dHispanic, Asian, multiple.
  6. eUnstable includes living in a shelter, on the streets, in an abandoned unit, no set place, or multiple. Stable housing includes living in an owned/rented house, subsidized housing, with a friend, other (e.g. transitional house).
  7. fParticipant in a drug treatment program; Denominator changes where responses were missing: All: N = 152; Outcome group: N = 15; Reference group #1: N = 58; Reference group #2: 59; Reference group #3: N = 9.
  8. gUsing cigarette filters to draw up prepared drug; Denominator changes where responses were missing: All: N = 152; Outcome group: N = 17; Reference group #1: N = 60; Reference group #2: 60; Reference group #3: N = 10.
  9. hDenominator changes where responses were missing: All: N = 150; Outcome group: N = 17; Reference group #1: N = 61; Reference group #2: 60; Reference group #3: N = 12.
  10. iIncludes only participants who reported reusing needles. All: N = 111; Outcome group: N = 8; Reference group #1: N = 48; Reference group #2: 45; Reference group #3: N = 10.
  11. jMost frequent method of cleaning injection site before injection; "Other" includes bleach, saliva, baby wipe, multiple agents.
  12. *p ≤ 0.05.
Back to article page

Harm Reduction Journal

ISSN: 1477-7517