Abstract | BACKGROUND: Street-involved youth who use illicit drugs are at high risk for health-related harms; however, the profile of youth at greatest risk of hospitalization has not been well described. We sought to characterize hospitalization among street-involved youth who use illicit drugs and identify the most frequent medical reasons for hospitalization among this population. METHODS: From January 2005 to May 2016, data were collected from the At-Risk Youth Study (ARYS), a prospective cohort study of street-involved youth in Vancouver, Canada. Multivariable generalized estimating equation (GEE) was used to identify factors associated with hospitalization. RESULTS: Among 1216 participants, 373 (30.7%) individuals reported hospitalization in the previous 6 months at some point during the study period. The top three reported medical reasons for hospital admission were the following: mental illness (37.77%), physical trauma (12.77%), and drug-related issues (12.59%). Factors significantly associated with hospitalization were the following: past diagnosis of a mental illness (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.85; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.47-2.33), frequent cocaine use (AOR = 2.15; 95% CI 1.37-3.37), non-fatal overdose (AOR = 1.76; 95% CI 1.37-2.25), and homelessness (AOR = 1.40; 95% CI 1.16-1.68) (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that mental illness is a key driver of hospitalization among our sample. Comprehensive approaches to mental health and substance use in addition to stable housing offer promising opportunities to decrease hospitalization among this vulnerable population.
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Authors | Derek C Chang, Launette Rieb, Ekaterina Nosova, Yang Liu, Thomas Kerr, Kora DeBeck |
Journal | Harm reduction journal
(Harm Reduct J)
Vol. 15
Issue 1
Pg. 14
(03 20 2018)
ISSN: 1477-7517 [Electronic] England |
PMID | 29558943
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
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Chemical References |
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Topics |
- Adult
- Canada
(epidemiology)
- Cohort Studies
- Comorbidity
- Female
- Ill-Housed Persons
(statistics & numerical data)
- Hospitalization
(statistics & numerical data)
- Humans
- Illicit Drugs
- Longitudinal Studies
- Male
- Mental Disorders
(epidemiology)
- Prospective Studies
- Risk Factors
- Substance-Related Disorders
(epidemiology)
- Wounds and Injuries
(epidemiology)
- Young Adult
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