title: Needle Fixation Profile: An Exploratory Assessment of Applicability in the Australian Context.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Needle fixation has the potential to undermine harm-reduction efforts and may affect up to one-quarter of all injecting drug users (IDUs). Being largely ignored in the extant literature, the majority of research on this phenomenon has been carried out exclusively in Cardiff, Wales.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The current exploratory study examined the applicability of needle fixation in a population of Australian IDUs to determine whether Australian IDUs were familiar with the behaviors and secondary gains that have been found to be associated with needle fixation and are assessed by the needle fixation profile (NEFPRO).
  
  
  METHODS
  A mixed-method design utilizing semi-structured interviews and questionnaire data was employed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Australian IDUs were aware of or had experience with the behaviors and secondary gains that have been found to be associated with needle fixation. A number of other behaviors and secondary gains associated with injecting were discussed by participants during the semi-structured interviews.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study offers preliminary support for the use of NEFPRO as a clinical and research tool within Australia. To ensure that all avenues toward harm reduction are being explored, it would be fruitful to engage in further research concerning the cross-cultural representations of needle fixation specifically as well as the general influence of needle fixation in perpetuating injecting drug use.
authors.affiliation: a Central Queensland Mental Health , Alcohol and Other Drugs Division, Queensland Government , Rockhampton , Queensland , Australia.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hinton
authors.affiliation: b School of Human Health and Social Sciences , CQUniversity , North Rockhampton , Queensland , Australia.
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Signal
authors.affiliation: c Rockhampton Psychology Services , Rockhampton , Queensland , Australia.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ghea
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D055030:Drug Users / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D040261:Harm Reduction; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016485:Needle Sharing / Q000523:psychology*; D009339:Needles; D012309:Risk-Taking; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: addiction; behavioral addiction; blood-borne virus; clinical screening tool; harm reduction; inject; injecting drug use; injection drug use; needle fixation; substance use