University of Houston, TX, USA.
J Aging Health. 2011 Sep;23(6):912-32. doi: 10.1177/0898264311401389. Epub 2011 Mar 30.
Research on the health consequences of long-term injection drug use (IDU) is limited. This article examines these consequences among aging, male Mexican American injecting heroin users. Concern for this group is crucial, given its health disparities and the association of IDU with disease transmission.
Aging, male Mexican American IDUs (N = 227) were recruited through intensive outreach. Participants self-reported health status, medical and substance use history, and completed behavioral and psychometric health scales.
Results: Participants had significantly poorer self-rated health and negative health conditions. Selected medical conditions not associated with the heroin-use lifestyle (i.e., hypertension, diabetes, arthritis) were lower relative to the comparison samples.
This population has a complex profile of health consequences linked to a heroin-using lifestyle. The study concludes that routine screening of infectious diseases and medical and behavioral conditions among aging substance using populations may contribute to reducing Hispanic health disparities.
关于长期注射吸毒(IDU)对健康影响的研究有限。本文研究了老龄化的、男性的、墨西哥裔美国籍的、注射海洛因的吸毒者的这些后果。鉴于该群体存在健康差异,且 IDU 与疾病传播有关,因此对该群体的关注至关重要。
通过密集的外展活动招募了老龄化的、男性的、墨西哥裔美国籍的 IDU 参与者(N=227)。参与者自我报告健康状况、医疗和药物使用史,并完成了行为和心理计量健康量表。
结果:参与者的自我评估健康状况和负面健康状况明显较差。与海洛因使用生活方式无关的某些医疗状况(即高血压、糖尿病、关节炎)的发病率相对较低。
该人群具有与海洛因使用生活方式相关的复杂健康后果特征。该研究得出的结论是,在老龄化的物质使用人群中,常规筛查传染病以及医疗和行为状况,可能有助于减少西班牙裔的健康差异。