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Table 2 Characteristics and answers from the COVID-19 Health Literacy Questionnaire, by main drug injected (n = 232)

From: Health literacy and changes in pattern of drug use among participants at the Stockholm Needle Exchange Program during the COVID-19 pandemic

 

All

Main drug injected

p value

Amphetamine/Heroin

Amphetamine

Heroin

Other drug

n (%)

n (%)

n (%)

n (%)

 

Total

232 (100)

144 (62.1)

65 (28.0)

23 (9.9)

 

Gender (n = 232)

 Men

177 (76.3)

107 (74.3)

49 (75.4)

21 (91.3)

1.0

Women

55 (23.7)

37 (25.7)

16 (24.6)

2 (8.7))

Age (n = 232)

 < 35

70 (30.2)

31 (21.5)

29 (44.6)

10 (43.5)

 < 0.001

 > 35

162 (69.8)

113 (78.5)

36 (55.4)

13 (56.5)

Housing (n = 232)

 Stable

92 (39.7)

54 (37.5)

29 (44.6)

9 (39.1)

0.36

 Irregular

75 (32.3)

50 (34.7)

17 (26.2)

8 (34.8)

0.26

 Homeless

65 (28.0)

40 (27.8)

19 (29.2)

6 (26.1)

0.87

Education (n = 232)

 Not finished elementary (< 9 years)

29 (12.5)

17 (11.8)

9 (13.8)

3 (13.0)

0.66

 Full elementary (9 years)

84 (36.2)

52 (36.1)

20 (30.8)

12 (52.2)

0.53

 Upper secondary

92 (39.7)

61 (42.4)

25 (38.5)

6 (26.1)

0.65

 University

27 (11.6)

14 (9.7)

11 (16.9)

2 (8.7))

0.17

Perceived COVID-19 transmission routes (n = 232)

 Injection paraphernalia

114 (49.1)

67 (46.5)

41 (63.1)

6 (26.1)

 < 0.05

 Inhalation paraphernalia

170 (73.3)

106 (73.6)

54 (83.1)

10 (43.5)

0.16

 Drug solution

100 (43.1)

54 (37.5)

39 (60.0)

7 (30.4)

 < 0.01

 Cigarette

167 (72.0)

104 (72.2)

52 (80.0)

11 (47.8)

0.30

 Through contact surfaces

190 (81.9)

119 (82.6)

58 (89.2)

13 (56.5)

0.30

 Through droplet

215 (92.7)

134 (93.1)

64 (98.5)

17 (73.9)

0.18

 Living together

170 (73.3)

107 (74.3)

51 (78.5)

12 (52.2)

0.60

Perceived effective protective measures (n = 232)

 Social distance

175 (75.4)

107 (74.3)

52 (80.0)

16 (69.6)

0.48

 Hygiene routines

203 (87.5)

125 (86.8)

57 (87.7)

21 (91.3)

1.0

 Face mask

118 (50.9)

75 (52.1)

34 (52.3)

9 (39.1)

1.0

 COVID-19 vaccination

103 (44.4)

67 (46.5)

30 (46.2)

6 (26.1)

1.0

 Treatment for COVID-19

116 (50.0)

76 (52.8)

35 (53.8)

5 (21.7)

1.0

 Illicit drugs

71 (30.6)

54 (37.5)

15 (23.1)

2 (8.7)

0.06

 Other

19 (8.2)

13 (9.0)

4 (6.2)

2 (8.7)

0.80

Knowledge of medical risk factors associated with COVID-19 infection (n = 217)

 Yes

142 (65.4)

87 (64.4)

38 (62.3)

16 (80.0)

0.87

 No

75 (34.6)

48 (35.6)

23 (37.7)

4 (20.0)

Reported personal risk factors (n = 232)

 None

33 (14.2)

19 (13.2)

8 (12.3)

6 (26.1)

1.0

 COPD

11 (4.7)

9 (6.3)

2 (3.1)

0

0.51

 Age

0

0

0

0

 High blood presure

37 (15.9)

29 (20.1)

6 (9.2)

2 (8.7)

0.07

 Diabetes mellitus

10 (4.3)

7 (4.9)

1 (1.5)

2 (8.7)

0.44

 Obesity

18 (7.8)

12 (8.3)

4 (6.2)

2 (8.7)

0.78

 Smoking

180 (77.6)

111 (77.1)

55 (84.6)

14 (60.9)

0.20

 Immunodeficiency

12 (5.2)

8 (5.6)

1 (1.5)

3 (13.0)

0.28

Fear of contracting COVID-19 (n = 231)

 Yes

57 (24.7)

36 (25.2)

14 (21.5)

7 (30.4)

0.60

 No

174 (75.3)

107 (74.8)

51 (78.5)

16 (69.6)

 

Self-reported COVID-19 infection (n = 231)

 Yes, confirmed

7 (3.0)

7 (4.9)

0

0

0.10

 Yes, suspected

58 (25.1)

39 (27.3)

15 (23.1)

4 (17.4)

0.61

 No

132 (57.1)

75 (52.4)

44 (61.7)

13 (56.5)

 < 0.05

 Don’t know

34 (14.7)

22 (15.4)

6 (9.2)

6 (26.1)

0.28

Behavioral change if confirmed/suspected COVID-19 (n = 65)

 Social distance

27 (41.5)

20 (43.5)

5 (33.3)

2 (50.0)

0.56

 Home isolation

25 (38.5)

20 (43.5)

5 (33.3)

0

0.56

 Admitted to hospital

3 (4.6)

3 (6.5)

0

0

0.57

 No change

25 (38.5)

17 (37.0)

7 (46.7)

1 (25.0)

0.55

SARS CoV-2 Ab (n = 227)

 Positive

15 (6.6)

14 (9.9)

1 (1.6)

0

 < 0.05

 Negative

207 (89.2)

123 (87.2)

63 (98.4)

21 (95.5)

 N/A

5 (2.2)

4 (2.8)

0 (0)

1 (4.5)

Change of injected drug (n = 231)

 Yes

30 (13.0)

12 (8.4)

13 (20.0)

18 (78.3)

 < 0.05

 No

201 (87.0)

131 (91.6)

52 (80.0)

5 (21.7)

Aquired drugs through alternative sources (n = 229)

 No change

174 (76.0)

118 (83.7)

39 (60.0)

17 (73.9)

 < 0.001

 Used other suppliers

29 (12.7)

8 (5.7)

19 (29.2)

2 (8.7)

 < 0.0001

 Stopped using illicit drugs

11 (4.8)

4 (2.8)

7 (10.8)

0

 < 0.05

Change in NEP visit frequency (n = 223)

 No change

149 (66.8)

90 (63.4)

42 (70.0)

17 (81.0)

0.42

 More frequent

8 (3.6)

5 (3.5)

2 (3.3)

1 (4.8)

1.0

 Less frequent

66 (29.6)

47 (33.1)

16 (26.7)

3 (14.3)

0.41

Increased sharing of needle/syringe (n = 232)

 Yes

11 (4.7)

6 (4.2)

4 (6.2)

1 (4.3)

0.51

 No

221 (95.3)

138 (95.8)

61 (93.8)

22 (95.7)

Shared needle/syringe during the past month (n = 231)

 Yes

34 (14.7)

24 (16.7)

8 (12.3)

3 (13.3)

0.53

 No

197 (85.3)

120 (83.3)

57 (87.7)

20 (86.7)

Increased sharing of paraphernalia (n = 229)

 Yes

14 (6.1)

10 (7.0)

4 (6.2)

0

1.0

 No

215 (93.9)

133 (93.0)

61 (93.8)

21 (100)

Shared paraphernalia during the past month (n = 229)

 Yes

64 (27.9)

44 (30.8)

17 (26.2)

5 (21.7)

0.62

 No

165 (72.1)

99 (69.2)

48 (73.8)

18 (78.3)

Healthcare avoidance (n = 232)

 Yes

34 (14.7)

17 (11.8)

11 (16.9)

6 (26.1)

0.38

 No

198 (85.3)

127 (88.2)

54 (83.1)

17 (73.9)

Had enough needles/syringes and other paraphernalia (n = 231)

 Yes

197 (85.3)

123 (85.4)

56 (87.5)

18 (78.3)

0.83

 No

34 (14.7)

21 (14.6)

8 (12.5)

5 (21.7)

Aquired needles/syringes through alternative sources (n = 232)

 Yes

45 (19.4)

27 (18.7)

12 (18.5)

6 (26.1)

1.0

 No

187 (80.6)

117 (81.3)

53 (81.5)

17 (73.9)

Experienced/heard that number of overdoses increased (n = 229)

 Yes

42 (18.3)

25 (17.6)

15 (23.1)

2 (9.1)

0.35

 No

161 (70.3)

103 (72.5)

39 (60.0)

19 (86.4)

0.08

 Don’t know

26 (11.3)

14 (9.9)

11 (16.9)

1 (4.5)

0.17

OAT (n = 232)

 Yes

54 (23.3)

19 (13.2)

28 (43.1)

7 (30.4)

 < 0.0001

 No

178 (76.7)

125 (86.8)

37 (56.9)

16 (69.6)

Modified OAT provision (n = 54)

 Yes

35 (64.8)

15/19 (78.9)

14/28 (50.0)

6/7 (85.7)

0.07

 No

19 (35.2)

4/19 (21.1)

14/28 (50.0)

1/7 (14.3)