Table 1 Characteristics of the sample (n = 199), by city—Kulob and Khudjand
From: Feasibility of needle and syringe programs in Tajikistan distributing low dead space needles
Kulob (n = 99) | Khudjand (n = 100) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
Background characteristics | |||
Mean age (standard deviation [SD]) | 35.9 (8.4) | 39.3 (7.3) | |
Percentage male | 96.0 | 77.0 | < 0.001 |
Percentage high school education or greater | 53.0 | 81.0 | < 0.001 |
Percentage unemployed | 96.0 | 51.0 | < 0.001 |
Percentage married or living as married | 32.3 | 55.0 | 0.001 |
Percentage ever in substance abuse treatment | 75.5 | 45.0 | < 0.001 |
Percentage ever incarcerated 1 year or more | 27.3 | 41.0 | 0.041 |
Percentage ever had a sexually transmitted infection | 9.1 | 16.0 | 0.199 |
Percentage tested positive for HIV | 22.2 | 31.0 | 0.161 |
Percentage hazardous or harmful drinkinga | 42.4 | 51.0 | 0.225 |
Percentage reported using heroin daily with or without dimedrol during the past 30 days | 90 | 8 | < 0.001 |
Drug use and injecting practices | |||
Mean number of injections past 30 days (SD) | 67.3 (23.6) | 21.9 (17.1) | < 0.001 |
Mean number of injections with a high dead space needle in past 30 days (SD) | 48.2 (35.2) | 11.2 (14) | < 0.001 |
Mean number of times injected heroin by itself in the past 30 days (SD) | 15.3 (24.1) | 1.5 (6.2) | < 0.001 |
Mean number of times injected heroin mixed with dimedrol in the past 30 days (SD) | 52.0 (34.1) | 20.3 (17.6) | < 0.001 |
Percentage any direct or indirect needle or syringe sharing in the past year | 9.1 | 6.0 | 0.409 |
Mean number of days between project start and completion of follow-up interviews (SD) | 81.8 (9.5) | 78.7 (8.9) | 0.019 |
Percentage injected homemade opiates in past 30 days | 0.0 | 14.0 | < 0.001 |
Percentage injected methamphetamine or another stimulant in past 30 days | 0.0 | 0.0 | – |
Percentage injected prescription opiate in past 30 days | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.000 |
Percentage injected other prescription drug | 0.0 | 11.0 | 0.001 |
Percentage injected any other drug | 0.0 | 0.0 | – |
Do you like using low dead space needles? | 99.0 | 92.9 | 0.065 |
What do you like about using low dead space needles? | |||
Percentage less wasted drugs | 94.9 | 51.0 | < 0.001 |
Percentage they are free | 57.6 | 99.0 | < 0.001 |
Percentage it is easy to split drugs accurately | 86.9 | 18.0 | < 0.001 |
Percentage they save me money on drugs | 85.9 | 64.0 | < 0.001 |
Percentage they are healthier for me to use because less infected blood stays in them | 99.0 | 24.0 | < 0.001 |
Percentage did not use any high dead space needles | 21.2 | 31.0 | 0.117 |
Reasons for using high dead space needles in past 30 days at follow-up | (n = 78) | (n = 69) | < 0.001 |
Percentage prefer high dead space needles | 1.3 | 44.9 | < 0.001 |
Percentage could not get a low dead space needle | 98.7 | 40.6 | < 0.001 |
Percentage low dead space needles wrong size | 0.0 | 13.0 | 0.001 |
Percentage low dead space needles poor quality | 0.0 | 1.4 | 0.469 |