Food access among people who inject drugs in West Virginia

The substance use epidemic in the United States continues to drive high levels of morbidity and mortality, particularly among people who inject drugs (PWID). Poor access to food often co-occurs with drug use and contributes to associated sequelae, such as risks for HIV and diabetes. The objective of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Harm reduction journal 2021-08, Vol.18 (1), p.90-9, Article 90
Main Authors: Rouhani, Saba, Allen, Sean T, Whaley, Sara, White, Rebecca Hamilton, O'Rourke, Allison, Schneider, Kristin E, Kilkenny, Michael E, Weir, Brian W, Sherman, Susan G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Access
Complications
Cross-Sectional Studies
Cultural identity
Demographic aspects
Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus
Disease control
Disease transmission
Drug abuse
Drug Overdose
Drug use
Drugs
Employment
Epidemics
Female
Food
Food access
Food security
Food supply
Forecasts and trends
Gender
Harm reduction
Health aspects
Health risks
Hepatitis
Hispanic people
HIV
HIV Infections
Homeless people
Homelessness
Human immunodeficiency virus
Humans
Hunger
Infectious diseases
Injection drug use
Intravenous drug abuse
Low income groups
Mental health
Morbidity
Mortality
Night
Overdose
Pharmaceutical Preparations
Public health
Social aspects
Substance abuse
Substance Abuse, Intravenous - drug therapy
Substance Abuse, Intravenous - epidemiology
Substance use
Variables
Well being
West Virginia - epidemiology
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Summary:The substance use epidemic in the United States continues to drive high levels of morbidity and mortality, particularly among people who inject drugs (PWID). Poor access to food often co-occurs with drug use and contributes to associated sequelae, such as risks for HIV and diabetes. The objective of this study was to examine factors associated with adequate food access among PWID in a rural Appalachian community. Cross-sectional surveys were used to collect data among PWID aged 18 and older in Cabell County, West Virginia. Frequency of hunger and sociodemographic, structural and drug use characteristics were measured. Adequate food access was defined as reporting 'never' going to bed hungry at night in the past six months. Pearson's χ and t-tests and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with food access. Only 71 individuals (17%) reported never going to bed hungry at night in the past six months. Adjusted odds of having adequate food access were higher among PWID who completed high school (aOR 2.94; P = 0.010) and usually used drugs alone (aOR 1.97; P = 0.025), and lower among PWID who were female (aOR 0.51; P = 0.037), experienced homelessness (aOR 0.23, P 
ISSN:1477-7517
1477-7517
DOI:10.1186/s12954-021-00536-x