title: Young adult Ecstasy users who forego necessary medical care: a fairly common occurrence with important health implications.
abstract: This study examines the practice of foregoing necessary medical care in a population of young adult Ecstasy users. The objectives are to (1) investigate how the failure to receive needed medical care is related to drug-related outcomes, and (2) identify factors that are associated with receiving versus foregoing needed medical care. Face-to-face, computer-assisted, structured interviews were conducted with 283 active young adult Ecstasy users in Atlanta, Georgia between August 2002 and October 2007. Study participants were recruited using a targeted sampling approach. Results indicated that almost one-third of the young adult Ecstasy users interviewed did not receive the medical care that they needed during the preceding year. Foregoing such care was associated with a variety of adverse drug-related outcomes, including experiencing a greater number of negative effects from using Ecstasy, experiencing a larger number of drug dependency symptoms, a greater likelihood of ever having binged on Ecstasy, and a greater likelihood of being classified as a "high end" polydrug abuser. Several factors were found to be associated with a greater tendency not to receive the medical care they needed, including race (not being African American), educational attainment (having completed at least high school), self-identification as belonging to the lowest socioeconomic status grouping, low self-esteem, and having experienced sexual abuse during one's formative years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Kirk W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Elifson
authors.forename: Hugh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Claire E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Sterk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019969:Amphetamine-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001244:Association; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005845:Georgia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine
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