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Knowledge and possession of take-home naloxone kits among street-involved youth in a Canadian setting: a cohort study Goldman-Hasbun, Julia; DeBeck, Kora; Buxton, Jane A.; Nosova, Ekaterina; Wood, Evan; Kerr, Thomas H.

Abstract

Background: The distribution of take-home naloxone (THN) kits has been an important strategy in reducing overdose fatalities among people who use drugs. However, little is known about the use of THN among youth who are street-involved. The present study explores knowledge and possession of THN among street-involved youth in a Canadian setting. Methods: Data were derived from the At-Risk Youth Study (ARYS), a prospective cohort of street-involved youth age 14–28 at enrollment in Vancouver, Canada. Participants completed a standardized questionnaire, which included items related to knowledge and possession of THN, sociodemographic characteristics, and substance use-related factors. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify factors independently associated with knowledge and possession of THN. Results: Between December 2014 and November 2016, 177 youth were interviewed, including 68 females (38.4%). While 126 (71.2%) participants reported knowledge of THN, only 40 (22.6%) possessed a THN kit. Caucasian/white ethnicity was found to be positively associated with both knowledge and possession of THN (both p 

Item Metadata

Title
Knowledge and possession of take-home naloxone kits among street-involved youth in a Canadian setting: a cohort study
Creator
Goldman-Hasbun, Julia; DeBeck, Kora; Buxton, Jane A.; Nosova, Ekaterina; Wood, Evan; Kerr, Thomas H.
Contributor
British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS; British Columbia Centre on Substance Use; BC Centre for Disease Control; St. Paul's Hospital (Vancouver, B.C.)
Publisher
BioMed Central
Date Issued
2017-12-22
Description
Background: The distribution of take-home naloxone (THN) kits has been an important strategy in reducing overdose fatalities among people who use drugs. However, little is known about the use of THN among youth who are street-involved. The present study explores knowledge and possession of THN among street-involved youth in a Canadian setting. Methods: Data were derived from the At-Risk Youth Study (ARYS), a prospective cohort of street-involved youth age 14–28 at enrollment in Vancouver, Canada. Participants completed a standardized questionnaire, which included items related to knowledge and possession of THN, sociodemographic characteristics, and substance use-related factors. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify factors independently associated with knowledge and possession of THN. Results: Between December 2014 and November 2016, 177 youth were interviewed, including 68 females (38.4%). While 126 (71.2%) participants reported knowledge of THN, only 40 (22.6%) possessed a THN kit. Caucasian/white ethnicity was found to be positively associated with both knowledge and possession of THN (both p 
Subject
Street youth; Urban context; Harm reduction; Opioid use; Naloxone
Geographic Location
Downtown-Eastside (Vancouver, B.C.)
Genre
Article
Type
Text
Language
eng
Date Available
2017-12-22
Provider
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Rights
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
DOI
10.14288/1.0362414
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/2429/64180
Affiliation
Medicine, Faculty of; Other UBC; Non UBC; Medicine, Department of; Population and Public Health (SPPH), School of
Citation
Harm Reduction Journal. 2017 Dec 22;14(1):79
Publisher DOI
10.1186/s12954-017-0206-6
Peer Review Status
Reviewed
Scholarly Level
Faculty
Copyright Holder
The Author(s).
Rights URI
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Aggregated Source Repository
DSpace

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Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)