An 1-year prospective cohort study on mortality of injecting drug users.
- Author:
Li ZHANG
1
;
Yu-hua RUAN
;
Zheng-qing JIANG
;
Zheng-ning YANG
;
Shi-zhu LIU
;
Feng ZHOU
;
Yi-xin HE
;
Lu YIN
;
Guang-ming QIN
;
Yi-ming SHAO
Author Information
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH: Adult; Cause of Death; China; epidemiology; Cohort Studies; Female; Heroin Dependence; mortality; Humans; Male; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Substance Abuse, Intravenous; mortality
- From: Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2005;26(3):190-193
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVETo study the mortality among injecting drug users (IDUs) from an IDUs cohort in Liangshan of Sichuan province.
METHODSIn November 2002, 376 injecting drug users were recruited and followed up for 1 year as part of a prospective cohort study. Socio-demographics and risk behaviors on drug use were recorded. After one year, the mortality rate was estimated and risk factors for mortality were analyzed using Cox regression.
RESULTSOut of the original cohort of 376 participants, there were 28 reported and confirmed deaths during the one year follow-up period. The mortality rate of the cohort was 77.32 per 1000 person-years (95% CI: 48.68 - 105.95) with the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) as 47.62 (95% CI: 31.63 - 68.71). Out of the 28 deaths, 64.3% (18/28) caused by overdoses of drug. No variables were found to be associated with death of all causes, but being un-married and >or= 9 year history of injecting drugs were found to be associated with overdose-related mortality in the final model of Cox regression. The hazard ratios were 4.51 (95% CI: 1.03 - 19.67) and 2.77 (95% CI: 1.10 - 7.00) respectively.
CONCLUSIONOverdose served the most frequent cause of deaths in Liangshan of Sichuan province. Future studies should be conducted to focus on mortality and risk factors associated with mortality among IDUs to provide targeted interventions in reducing unnatural mortality.