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Table 1 Characteristics of 120 adolescents commencing opioid substitution treatment, and subgroup who persisted in treatment until month 12

From: Opioid substitution treatment and heroin dependent adolescents: reductions in heroin use and treatment retention over twelve months

 

Total Group

Missing data

In treatment until month 12

N (%)c

N (%)d

OR

95% CI OR

P value

Number in Treatment

120

 

39 (33)

   

Socio-demographic characteristics

 Female

61 (51)

 

25 (41)

2.0

(0.9–4.4)

0.07

 Aged under 18.0 years

104 (87)

 

35 (34)

1.5

(0.5–5.1)

0.49

 Left school under 15 years

51 (46)

8

18 (35)

1.0

(0.5–2.3)

0.92

 Not in employment, education or training

81 (70)

4

29 (36)

1.7

(0.7–4.1)

0.24

 Two parent family support

59 (50)

1

27 (46)

3.8

(1.6–8.6)

0.001

 Has a child

6 (5)

 

0 (0)

n/a

 

0.18a

 Has been in care

38 (32)

2

10 (26)

0.7

(0.3–1.6)

0.35

 Sibling Heroin Use

45 (39)

4

17 (38)

1.4

(0.6–3.0)

0.45

 Parental heroin Use

25 (22)

4

6 (24)

0.6

(0.2–1.5)

0.25

 Partner uses heroin

47 (39)

1

18 (38)

1.5

(0.7–3.3)

0.30

 Homeless or hostel in past month

34 (28)

 

11 (32)

0.9

(0.4–2.2)

0.89

 Previous criminal convictions

46 (41)

8

14 (30)

0.9

(0.4–2.0)

0.80

 Ever incarcerated

31 (27)

6

8 (26)

0.8

(0.3–1.9)

0.55

Psychiatric History

 Ever assessed by a psychiatrist

62 (53)

2

22 (36)

1.4

(0.6–2.9)

0.44

 Past Inpatient psychiatric admission

10 (9)

4

6 (60)

3.2

(0.8–12)

0.09a

 Past DSH

36 (31)

5

12 (33)

1.1

(0.5–2.5)

0.86

Substance Use

 Lifetime Drug Use

  Non-prescribed benzodiazepines

107 (90)

1

36 (34)

1.0

(0.3–3.6)

1.0a

  Non-prescribed methadone

90 (78)

5

30 (33)

0.8

(0.3–1.9)

0.54

  Cocaine use

76 (68)

8

30 (40)

2.7

(1.1–7.0)

0.04

  Injected

53 (45)

2

17 (32)

1.0

(0.5–2.2)

0.99

  Commenced heroin under 15 years of age

43 (36)

2

20 (47)

2.6

(1.2–5.7)

0.02

  Regular heroin use for more than 12 months

73 (64)

6

26 (36)

1.2

(0.5–2.7)

0.67

 Past Month Drug Use

  Non-prescribed benzodiazepines

71 (60)

1

26 (37)

1.4

(0.6–3.1)

0.40

  Non-prescribed methadone

71 (60)

1

27 (38)

1.7

(0.7–3.7)

0.22

  Cocaine

31 (26)

2

10 (32)

1.0

(0.4–2.3)

0.91

  Cannabis

80 (73)

11

27 (34)

1.3

(0.5–3.4)

0.54

  Amphetamine

9 (9)

19

4 (44)

1.9

(0.5–7.7)

0.45a

  Alcohol

46 (45)

18

17 (37)

1.2

(0.5–2.8)

0.61

  Injecting

35 (29)

1

13 (37)

1.5

(0.7–3.4)

0.34

  Using more than 3 ‘bags’ heroin per day

60 (53)

7

18 (30)

0.9

(0.4–2.0)

0.81

 Pre-treatment UDSb positives

  Benzodiazepines

71 (59)

 

26 (37)

1.6

(0.7–3.6)

0.25

  Methadone

67 (56)

 

20 (30)

0.8

(0.4–1.6)

0.49

  Cocaine

13 (11)

 

3 (23)

0.6

(0.2–2.3)

0.54a

  Cannabis

47 (47)

20

13 (28)

0.7

(0.3–1.6)

0.38

Early Treatment

 Suboxone Commenced

32 (27)

 

7 (22)

0.5

(0.2–1.3)

0.13

 At least one heroin negative UDS during induction

50 (46)

12

14 (28)

0.6

(0.3–1.4)

0.28

  1. aP value calculated using Fishers Exact Test Statistic as estimated value in cell was less than 5
  2. bUDS = Urine drug screen
  3. cThis column indicates the proportion (%) of the total group showing that characteristic (e.g. 51% of total group are female)
  4. dThis column indicates the proportion (%) of the subgroup with the characteristic who are still in treatment at month 12 (e.g. 25/61 [41%] of the females were still in treatment at month 12)