Friendship networks of inner-city adults: a latent class analysis and multi-level regression of supporter types and the association of supporter latent class membership with supporter and recipient drug use.
BACKGROUND
Social support is a multi-dimensional construct that is important to drug use cessation. The present study identified types of supportive friends among the social network members in a community-based sample and examined the relationship of supporter-type classes with supporter, recipient, and supporter-recipient relationship characteristics. We hypothesized that the most supportive network members and their support recipients would be less likely to be current heroin/cocaine users.


METHODS
Participants (n=1453) were recruited from low-income neighborhoods with a high prevalence of drug use. Participants identified their friends via a network inventory, and all nominated friends were included in a latent class analysis and grouped based on their probability of providing seven types of support. These latent classes were included as the dependent variable in a multi-level regression of supporter drug use, recipient drug use, and other characteristics.


RESULTS
The best-fitting latent class model identified five support patterns: friends who provided Little/No Support, Low/Moderate Support, High Support, Socialization Support, and Financial Support. In bivariate models, friends in the High, Low/Moderate, and Financial Support were less likely to use heroin or cocaine and had less conflict with and were more trusted by the support recipient than friends in the Low/No Support class. Individuals with supporters in those same support classes compared to the Low/No Support class were less likely to use heroin or cocaine, or to be homeless or female. Multivariable models suggested similar trends.


CONCLUSIONS
Those with current heroin/cocaine use were less likely to provide or receive comprehensive support from friends.
Bohnert
Amy S B
AS
VA National Serious Mental Illness Treatment Research and Evaluation Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. amybohne@med.umich.edu
German
Danielle
D
Knowlton
Amy R
AR
Latkin
Carl A
CA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015142:Baltimore / Q000453:epidemiology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult