Factors Related to Injection Drug Use Among Female Prisoners

Abstract

Female inmates (N == 655) of a large prison facility in the southeastern United States were surveyed about their substance use, social histories, and demographics. Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify predictors of injection drug use. The sample was primarily young (M == 34 ± 9 years), and evenly split on race (45.3%% White and 44.6%% Black). Four predictors were identified as significant risk factors for injection drug use: being White, having a prior history of substance user treatment, having a prior drug-related charge, and being a problem drinker. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

RÉSUMÉ

Les facteurs se rapportent à l’utilisation des drogues injectées par les détenues

Des prisonnières (N == 655) d’une grande prison du sud-est des États-Unis ont été interrogées sur leur utilisation de drogues, leur casier judiciaire, et leur démographie. La régression logistique polynôme a été employée pour identifier des facteurs prédictifs de l’utilisation des drogues par injection. L’échantillon était assez jeune (M == 34 ++ 9 ans), et divisé presque également entre les noires et les blanches (45.3%% blanches et 44.6%% noires). Quatre facteurs prédictifs ont été identifiés en tant que facteurs de risque significatifs pour l’usage de drogues par injection: le fait d’être blanche, d’abuser les drogues, d’être arrêté pour l’usage des drogues, et d’être alcoolique. Nous discutons les implications, les limitations, et les améliorations possibles de nos études.

RESUMEN

Factores que se relacionan con el uso de la droga inyectada en las internas femeninas

Prisioneras femeninas (N == 655) de una gran prisión localizada en el sudeste de los E.E.U.U., fueron encuestadas sobre el uso de drogas, historias sociales, y demográficas. La regresión logística Multinomial fue utilizada para identificar predicciones del uso de la droga inyectada. La majoría de la encuestadas fueron joven (M == 34 ± 9 años de edad), divididas uniformemente racial (45.3%% fueron blancas y 44.6%% fueron negras). Cuatro pronósticos fueron identificados como factores de riesgo significativo para el uso de la droga inyectada: siendo de la raza blanca, teniendo una historia anterior de tratamiento del abuso de la substancia, teniendo una carga anterior relacionada a las drogas, y tener problemas de alcoholismo. Se discuten las implicaciones, las limitaciones, y las direcciones futuras.

Palabras claves: uso de la droga de la inyección, uso de la droga, factores de riesgo, hembra, presioneras

Keywords :

• injection drug use
• correctional polulation
• female prisoners
• risk factors
• prevention

THE AUTHORS

Octavia Jackson is a clinical psychology doctoral student with clinical and research interests in substance use disorders, trauma, and serious mental illness. She has worked primarily with veterans and community corrections population. She has coauthored a book chapter reviewing Community Clinics for substance use disorders for Addiction Medicine: Science and Practice, a Springer publication that is currently in press. This is her second peer-reviewed publication. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, College on the Problems of Drug Dependence, and Society for Behavioral Medicine.

Dr. Cropsey is a licensed clinical psychologist with research interests and grant funding in using combination pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy treatment for correctional population with substance dependence. Other research interests include health and medical needs of incarcerated populations including the areas of HIV, hepatitis, and sexual health. She has authored a module for the American Psychological Association HIV Office on AIDS Education titled, “HIV, Mental Illness, and Prisons”. She has over 30 publications in peer-reviewed journals including Addictive Behaviors, Substance Use and Misuse, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, and American Journal of Public Health. She is on the editorial board for Journal of Addiction Medicine and is a reviewer for several other journals. She is a member in several professional organizations including the American Psychological Association, College on the Problems of Drug Dependence, Society on Research for Nicotine and Tobacco, and Society for Behavioral Medicine.

Dr. Michael Weaver is Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Psychiatry in the Division of General Medicine and the Division of Addiction Psychiatry at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine in Richmond, Virginia. He received his M.D. degree from Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine. He completed a Residency in Internal Medicine and a Clinical Research Fellowship in Addiction Medicine at VCU, and he is Board-certified in both Internal Medicine and Addiction Medicine. He is currently involved in patient care, medical education, and research. Dr. Weaver is the Medical Director for the VCU Substance Abuse Consult Service and the Medical Director of the Primary Care Pain Clinic at VCU. He volunteers as a Medical Director of the Human Resources, Inc. Methadone Maintenance program in Richmond, which serves central Virginia. He is the Director for the Addiction Medicine rotation for residents, medical students, and pharmacy students at VCU. Dr. Weaver is involved in several research projects, including a study of computers to screen for addiction in primary care clinics, waterpipe tobacco smoking, and aberrant medication-taking behavior among patients with different types of chronic pain. He is a member of several professional societies, including the American Society of Addiction Medicine and the American Pain Society. Dr. Weaver has multiple publications in the fields of addiction medicine and pain managemen.

Gabriela Villalobos graduated with a Bachelor's of Science in Psychology. She is currently working on her Master's of Social Work. She is also a research assistant at Virginia Commonwealth University with the Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studie.

Dr. Eldridge is a licensed clinical psychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Her research interests focus on the health and medical needs of incarcerated individuals, including HIV-risk reduction and smoking cessation. She currently holds funding from NIDA and NIMH to examine ethical challenges in conducting research in correctional settings. She coauthored a module for the American Psychological Association HIV Office on AIDS Education titled, “HIV, Mental Illness, and Prisons”. She has over 20 publications in peer-reviewed journals including the American Journal of Public Health, the Journal of Correctional Healthcare, and Addictive Behaviors.

Dr. Stitzer is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her research portfolio is broadly focused on both pharmacological and behavioral approaches to the treatment of substance abuse and includes research on both illicit drug abuse and tobacco dependence. Dr. Stitzer has published more than 200 scientific papers, and has received several awards acknowledging her research contributions in substance abuse. She has been a member of the AHCQR Smoking Cessation Guideline panel since 1994 and is a charter member and past president of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco.

Notes

1 The reader is asked to consider that the “at-risk” concept represents a range of processes and is often noted in the literature, without adequately noting their i dimensions (linear, non-linear), their “demands”, the critical necessary conditions (endogenously as well as exogenously; from a micro to a macro level) which are necessary for them to operate (begin, continue, become anchored and integrate, change as de facto realities change, cease, etc.) or not to and whether their underpinnings are theory-driven, empirically-based, individual and/or systemic stake holder- bound, based upon “principles of faith” or what. Clarification of this is necessary if these terms are not to remain as shibboleths in a field of many stereotypes. Editor's note.

2 The journal's style utilizes the category substance abuse as a diagnostic category. Substances are used or misused; living organisms are and can be abused. Editor's note.