[Characteristics and associated factors of long-term retention for methadone maintenance treatment patients].
OBJECTIVE
To describe the characteristics and factors associated with long-term retention for methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) patients.


METHODS
This study was conducted in eight MMT clinics located in Sichuan, Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou and Zhejiang provinces. Five hundred and thirty-nine MMT patients who enrolled in MMT clinics in 2004 and retained in treatment by June 2010 were selected as study subjects. Chi-square tests were used to compare the demographics and drug abuse history at enrollment and treatment characteristics during the follow-up period between continuous treatment patients and discontinuous treatment patients.


RESULTS
Of the 539 patients, 110 (20.4%) were continuous treatment patients whereas 429 (79.6%) were discontinuous treatment patients. Of these 429 discontinuous treatment patients, 84.1% (361/429) had 2-4 treatment episodes whereas 15.9% (68/429) had 5 or more episodes during follow-up period. When continuous treatment patients were compared with discontinuous treatment patients, living with family members or friends (88.2% (97/110), 78.5% (337/429)), age of first drug use under 25 (61.8% (68/110), 71.3% (306/429)), low urine morphine positive test results (67.3% (74/110), 38.2% (164/429)) and living within 5 kilometers of the MMT clinic (72.7% (80/110), 61.3% (263/429)) were positively associated with higher possibility of continuous treat retention (P < 0.05). Demographics and drug abuse characteristics at enrollment, including gender, age, employment status, family relationship, injection, needle sharing, criminal behavior, contacts with drug users, MMT daily dosage and family members receiving MMT were not significantly associated with treatment retention (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Illicit drug use during the treatment and longer distance travelling to MMT clinic might have negative impact on patients' continuous treatment retention. Mobile MMT vehicles and expanded MMT service sites could be introduced to improve compliance of treatment retention of MMT patients.
National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.
Xiao-bin
XB
Cao
Zun-you
ZY
Wu
Ke-ming
KM
Rou
Lin
L
Pang
Wei
W
Luo
Chang-he
CH
Wang
Wen-yuan
WY
Yin
Jian-hua
JH
Li
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D008691:Methadone