TY - JOUR
T1 - Hepatitis c and substance use in a sample of homeless people in New York city
AU - Rosenblum, Andrew
AU - Nuttbrock, Larry
AU - McQuistion, Hunter L.
AU - Magura, Stephen
AU - Joseph, Herman
N1 - Funding Information:
Herman Joseph is Research Scientist, New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS).Address correspondence to: Dr. Andrew Rosenblum at the above address (E-mail: [email protected] ).This study was supported by NIDA Grant No. R01 DA10431. Thanks are ex - tended to Project Renewal’s mobile van medical staff, David Wood and Dr. Judy DelValle, and to the research interviewers Marie Marthol and Marvin Johnson for their contributions to the conduct of the study. Preliminary results were presented at the American Public Health Association Conference, Washington, DC, November, 1998.
PY - 2001/12/3
Y1 - 2001/12/3
N2 - This study examined the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies and its association with substance use and sexual behavior among a sample of 139 persons visiting a mobile medical clinic in Manhattan. Ninety percent were unstably housed or were living on the street. The prevalence of HCV antibodies was 32%. Prevalence was also high for hepatitis B core antibodies (47%), HIV antibodies (15%), and syphilis exposure (14%); 76% tested positive for cocaine. Among subjects who reported ever injecting (20%), 86% were HCV positive; 19% of non-injectors were HCV positive. In separate multivariate logistic regression models (with injection controlled), HCV was predicted by quantitative hair assays for cocaine and self-re -ported duration of crack-cocaine use. Alcohol dependence and sexual behavior did not predict HCV. Hepatitis C is a significant public health problem among the urban homeless population, with injection drug use and, to a lesser extent, cocaine use implicated as risk factors.
AB - This study examined the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies and its association with substance use and sexual behavior among a sample of 139 persons visiting a mobile medical clinic in Manhattan. Ninety percent were unstably housed or were living on the street. The prevalence of HCV antibodies was 32%. Prevalence was also high for hepatitis B core antibodies (47%), HIV antibodies (15%), and syphilis exposure (14%); 76% tested positive for cocaine. Among subjects who reported ever injecting (20%), 86% were HCV positive; 19% of non-injectors were HCV positive. In separate multivariate logistic regression models (with injection controlled), HCV was predicted by quantitative hair assays for cocaine and self-re -ported duration of crack-cocaine use. Alcohol dependence and sexual behavior did not predict HCV. Hepatitis C is a significant public health problem among the urban homeless population, with injection drug use and, to a lesser extent, cocaine use implicated as risk factors.
KW - Cocaine use
KW - Hair analysis
KW - Hepatitis-C
KW - Homelessness
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85011458210
U2 - 10.1300/J069v20n04_03
DO - 10.1300/J069v20n04_03
M3 - Article
C2 - 11760923
AN - SCOPUS:85011458210
SN - 1055-0887
VL - 20
SP - 17
EP - 27
JO - Journal of Addictive Diseases
JF - Journal of Addictive Diseases
IS - 4
ER -