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Table 4 Comparison of users who had continued to receive methadone from 2008 to 2012/13 by consistency (n = 185)

From: Participation dynamics of a cohort of drug users in a low-threshold methadone treatment programme

 

Low consistency (n = 126)

High/moderate consistency (n = 59)

Test

 

No.

%

No.

%

OR

95 % CI

p value

 

Median

IQR

Median

IQR

Mann-Whitney U

(a) Baseline socio-demographics

 

 Male

95

75 %

46

78 %

1.16

0.55–2.41

0.70

 Chinese

94

75 %

50

85 %

1.89

0.84–4.27

0.12

 HKID holdera

107

85 %

55

93 %

2.44

0.79–7.53

0.11

 Age (years)

33

28–39

38

31–43

2629

 

0.001*

 Aged >35

46

37 %

38

64 %

3.15

1.65–6.00

<0.001*

 Years of narcotic use

6

2–13

9

3–17

2866

 

0.01*

(b) Methadone clinic attendance pattern

 No. of attendances

655

295–1081

1509

1165–1764

1037

 

<0.001*

 Frequency >2/week

       

  <50 %

13

10 %

2

3 %

0.31

0.07–1.40

0.11

  50–89 %

68

54 %

19

32 %

0.41

0.21–0.78

0.01*

  ≥90 %

45

36 %

38

64 %

3.26

1.71–6.21

<0.001*

 Visiting time

       

  Morning

18

14 %

22

37 %

3.60

1.73–7.38

<0.001*

  Afternoon

28

22 %

18

31 %

1.54

0.77–3.08

0.22

  Evening

99

79 %

32

54 %

0.32

0.17–0.63

0.001*

 No. of clinics visited

3

2–4

2

2–4

3065

 

0.05

 No. of breaks

3

2–5

0

0–1

0.59

 

<0.001*

 Longest break (months)

15

8–25

1

0–2

/

 

/

(c) Dosage of methadone

 Highest dose ≥80 mg

47

37 %

19

32 %

0.80

0.42–1.54

0.50

 Lowest dose <20 mg

66

52 %

37

63 %

1.53

0.81–2.88

0.19

 Dose range (mg)

51

40–61

50

35–60

3332

 

0.25

 Mode dose (mg)

40

30–60

40

35–50

3603

 

0.73

 Mean dose (mg)

43

36–55

40

34–50

3402

 

0.35

 Median dose (mg)

40

35–55

40

35–50

3441

 

0.41

 Highest dose (mg)

70

55–80

65

50–80

3277

 

0.19

 Lowest dose (mg)

15

10–25

15

10–20

3439

 

0.41

 Proportion of days with dose <20 mg

0 %

0–6 %

1 %

0–7 %

3269

 

0.17

 Proportion of days with dose >40 mg

48 %

17–74 %

38 %

8-73 %

3447

 

0.43

(d) Connectivity patterns

 Attended the nearest clinicb

37

77 %

15

63 %

0.50

0.17–1.44

0.19

 Same residing and clinic districtb

31

65 %

13

54 %

0.65

0.24–1.76

0.39

 Distance (m) from home to frequent clinicb

454

188–971

584

297–2876

492

 

0.31

 Shortest distance (m) from home to clinicb

421

182–726

481

277–778

509

 

0.42

 Connected in social networkc

70

56 %

40

68 %

1.68

0.88–3.22

0.11

 Degreed

1

0–4

2

0–39

2888

 

0.01*

 Betweenness centralitye

1

0–7120

492

0–19906

1113

 

0.06

  1. OR odds ratio, 95 % CI 95 % confidence interval, IQR interquartile range
  2. *p < 0.05
  3. aHKID holder refers to a person who is permitted to stay in Hong Kong for more than 180 days excluding visitors
  4. bLow consistency n = 48, high/moderate consistency n = 24
  5. cUsers who have at least one connection with any other users with F-score not less than 0.1
  6. dThe number of connections with other users with F-score not less than 0.1
  7. eLow consistency n = 70, high/moderate consistency n = 40
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Harm Reduction Journal

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