The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #61535

Lena M. Lundgren, PhD¹, Robert F. Schilling, PhD², Faith Ferguson, PhD¹, Karen A. Davis, MSW, MPH³, and Maryann Amodeo, PhD¹. (1) School of Social Work, Boston University, 264 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215, 617-353-1634, llundgre@bu.edu, (2) School of Public Policy and Social Welfare, University of California, Los Angeles, 5220 Public Policy Building, Los Angeles, CA 90095, (3) Division of Epidemiology, Bureau of Surveillance, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 125 Worth St, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10013

This presentation explores how individuals with less "human capital" and greater "institutional disaffiliation" -- that is, with fewer resources and assets such as education, steady employment, family connections and responsibilities -- are less likely to enter more effective drug treatment programs. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the likelihood of either entering residential treatment, methadone treatment (MM) or solely entering detoxification programs for 25,387 injection drug users (IDUs) who were using drug treatment in Massachusetts between 1996-1999. IDUs who were employed, more educated, health-insured, not homeless and who resided with their children were less likely to solely enter detoxification programs. This population was also more likely to enter MM. To test the reliability of these results, a sensitivity analysis was conducted where the results from the logistic regression model which examined the drug treatment entry patterns of the primary research group (n=25,387), IDUs who all reported having injected in the past year, were compared with another logistic regression model where the drug treatment entry patterns of drug users (n=6,786) who reported having ever injected drugs but who had not injected in the past year, were examined. This sensitivity analysis confirmed the relationships identified in the primary analysis between employment, education, health insurance status, parental status and type of drug treatment entered.

Learning Objectives:

• Articulate the concepts of "human capital" and "institutional affiliation".
• List factors associated with likelihood of entering effective drug treatment.
• Discuss how findings can be used to influence existing drug treatment program planning efforts.

Keywords: 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.