The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #44480

Edward V Morse, PhD¹, Patricia M Morse, PhD², and Sam Burgess, MA². (1) Department of Pediatrics SL-37, Tulane University, 1430 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA 70112, 504.568.6256, gbear@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu, (2) Department of Psychiatry, LSU Health Sciences Center, 1542 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, LA 70112

Objective: To examine the relationship between young IDUs’ family systems characteristics and participation in high risk drug use behaviors. Method: Interview data from 242 young IDUs in New Orleans, ages 18-30, participating in the CDC-funded CIDUS II are presented. Data include demographics, family stability, family knowledge of drug use, family closeness, family relationship quality, and participant high risk drug use behaviors. Results: Participants were 48.4% African American, 66.4% male and 77.5% under age 25. Almost half (49.6%) indicated that they engaged in high risk injection practices including sharing syringes, backloading, and/or sharing cookers, cotton and rinse water. High risk injectors were more likely to be male (66.1%) white (58.7%) and under age 25 (78.5%). They were more likely to report having grown up in families where there was a lack of closeness (50.4%), where they did not get along with parents (69.4%) and where the family was aware they were shooting drugs (62.8%). Logistic regression controlling for age, race and gender indicates that young IDUs raised in families where they did not get along with parents and where parents knew they were injecting drugs were three times (OR 3.17; p<.002 OR 3.08; p<.0001 respectively) as likely to engage in high risk injecting practices. Conclusions: Family system characteristics are associated with the extent to which young IDUs participate in high risk injecting practices. Attempts at increasing the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing young IDUs participation in high risk health behaviors should focus greater attention on the influences of family systems.

Learning Objectives:

• To examine family factors associated with young IDUs high risk injecting practices
• To present family focused intervention strategies aimed at reduction of high risk injecting behaviors

Keywords: HIV Risk Behavior, Injection Drug Users

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.