title: Factors associated with methadone treatment among injection drug users in Bangkok, Thailand.
abstract: Little is known about the characteristics of injection drug users (IDU) who take methadone treatment in Thailand. We examined prevalence and correlates of methadone treatment among a community-recruited sample of IDU in Bangkok, Thailand. Among 273 participants, 143 (52.4%) reported accessing methadone treatment within the previous 6 months. Older age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.10-3.30) and more than weekly midazolam injection (AOR = 1.85, 95% CI = 1.04-3.29) were positively associated, whereas alcohol use (AOR = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.18-0.63) and noninjection methamphetamine use (AOR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.29-0.85) were negatively associated with methadone treatment. In subanalyses, 98.6% of IDU on methadone continued to inject drugs, and the most common reason for stopping methadone was becoming incarcerated (49%). Evidence-based addiction treatment in the form of methadone maintenance therapy, with attention paid to concomitant midazolam injection in this setting, should be implemented.
authors.affiliation: Urban Health Research Initiative, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, 608 - 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6Z 1Y6. n.fairbairn@gmail.com
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fairbairn
authors.forename: Kanna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Karyn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Paisan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Suwannawong
authors.forename: Jiezhi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Evan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kerr
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008874:Midazolam / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D058850:Opiate Substitution Treatment / Q000379:methods*; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D008694:Methamphetamine; D008874:Midazolam; D008691:Methadone