title: Formal and informal organizational activities of people who inject drugs in New York City: description and correlates.
abstract: Little is known about group memberships of people who inject drugs (PWID). Three hundred PWID were interviewed about formal and informal group participation and risk behaviors. Many took part in groups related to problems and resources associated with injecting drugs, religion, sports or gender. Harm reduction group and support group participation was associated with less risk behavior; sports groups participation with more risk behavior. Group involvement by PWID may be important to their lives and/or affect prevention or infectious disease transmission. More research is needed about determinants and consequences of their and other drug users' group memberships.
authors.affiliation: a National Development and Research Institutes , New York , New York , USA.
authors.forename: Samuel R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: Enrique R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Pouget
authors.forename: Milagros
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sandoval
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mateu-Gelabert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017677:Age Distribution; D005260:Female; D040261:Harm Reduction; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016485:Needle Sharing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009519:New York City; D010379:Peer Group; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012657:Self-Help Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012944:Social Support; D013177:Sports / Q000523:psychology; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Big Events; Drug users; HIV; group membership; injection drug users (IDUs); people who inject drugs; risk behaviors; structural interventions