Methamphetamine Use in the Suburbs: An Exploratory Study

郊区甲基苯丙胺的使用：一项探索性研究

• 批准号: 7756542
• 负责人: MIRIAM W BOERI
• 金额: $ 20.1万
• 依托单位: KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-06-01 至 2012-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7756542
• 关键词: Academic Research Enhancement Awards; Affect; Applications Grants; Area; Attention; Awareness; Communities; Data; Data Analyses; Data Collection; Drug usage; Drug user; Epidemiology; Face; Female; Focus Groups; Funding; Future; Gender; Gender Role; Goals; Group Interviews; HIV; Health; Health Services; Health Services Accessibility; Health Services Needs; Healthcare; Hepatitis C virus; Individual; Intervention; Interview; Investigation; Knowledge; Life; Life Cycle Stages; Literature; Mainstreaming; Methamphetamine; Mosses; National Institute of Drug Abuse; Participant; Patient Self-Report; Pattern; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Population; Population Study; Recommendation; Recruitment Activity; Reporting; Research; Risk; Risk Behaviors; Risk Factors; Risk Reduction; Sampling; Services; Sex Characteristics; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Social Environment; Societies; Stigmatization; Time; United States National Institutes of Health; United States Public Health Service; United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; Violence; Woman; base; follow-up; health care service utilization; longitudinal design; male; men; neglect; novel; public health relevance; social; suburb; theories; transmission process; trend

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This is a competitive renewal of an R15 AREA study that examined emerging trends in methamphetamine (MA) use among a sample of 65 male and 35 female MA users in the suburbs. We found that the suburban setting increases risk factors for female drug users, including risk behaviors associated with transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In expanding upon our original study, we will continue to explore emerging trends in MA use in the suburbs, focusing exclusively on female MA users, an understudied and neglected population of drug users. Additionally, women living in the suburbs face barriers to drug treatment and healthcare due to restricted access to health services, lack of drug-related risk awareness, and the gendered stigmatization of suburban MA use that intensifies the hidden status of this population. The broad goal of this renewal study is to gain a more in-depth understanding of gendered drug-use trajectories and risk behavior patterns. Our specific aims in this competitive renewal study are (1) to expand our exploration into the turning points in drug use trajectories among suburban women who use MA; (2) to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the risks and protective factors that impact the transmission of HIV, HCV and STIs specific to female MA users living in the suburbs; and (3) to assess HIV risk awareness, risk behaviors, healthcare utilization and accessibility to healthcare services over time for a sub-sample of suburban female MA users. The sample in this renewal study will include 30 suburban female MA users (15 former and 15 current users). As a novel line of investigation, we will use a longitudinal design to collect data at three points: 30 new in-depth interviews, followed 3-6 months later by 30 follow-up interviews, and followed another 3-6 months later by focus groups with the same sample population. Participants are provided risk-reduction and healthcare literature at each interview. Follow-up interviews focus on changes in specific drug use patterns, social context of drug use, HIV- risk behaviors, healthcare utilization, and access to health services and treatment, which are new areas of this renewal study. Data analysis will be informed by life course and symbolic interaction theories. First, the findings will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the gender differences found in our original study on MA use in suburban Atlanta. Second, the longitudinal design will identify HIV-risk behaviors among suburban female MA users and changes in risk behaviors over time. Third, knowledge regarding the utilization of health services and access to needed healthcare among this study population will better inform future healthcare initiatives. Additionally, findings will yield recommendations for gender-specific and socially appropriate interventions at the individual and community levels for suburban female MA users.

描述（由申请人提供）：这是R15 AREA研究的竞争性更新，该研究检查了郊区65名男性和35名女性MA使用者样本中甲基苯丙胺（MA）使用的新趋势。我们发现，郊区环境增加了女性吸毒者的危险因素，包括与人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）、丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）和性传播感染（STIs）相关的危险行为。在扩展我们的原始研究的基础上，我们将继续探索郊区MA使用的新趋势，专注于女性MA使用者，这是一个未被充分研究和被忽视的吸毒者群体。此外，由于获得保健服务的机会有限，缺乏与毒品有关的风险意识，以及郊区使用MA的性别污名化加剧了这一人群的隐藏地位，生活在郊区的妇女在接受药物治疗和保健方面面临障碍。这项更新研究的广泛目标是更深入地了解性别药物使用轨迹和风险行为模式。我们在这项竞争性更新研究中的具体目标是：(1)扩大我们对使用MA的郊区妇女药物使用轨迹转折点的探索；(2)更全面地了解影响郊区女性手机使用者艾滋病毒、丙型肝炎病毒和性传播感染的风险和保护因素；(3)评估郊区女性MA使用者的HIV风险意识、风险行为、医疗保健利用和医疗保健服务可及性随时间的变化。本次更新研究的样本包括30名郊区女性MA用户（15名前用户和15名现用户）。作为一种新颖的调查方式，我们将采用纵向设计在三个点收集数据：30次新的深度访谈，3-6个月后进行30次随访访谈，并在3-6个月后对相同样本人群进行焦点小组随访。在每次访谈中，向参与者提供降低风险和保健方面的文献。随访访谈的重点是特定药物使用模式的变化，药物使用的社会背景，艾滋病毒风险行为，医疗保健利用，以及获得卫生服务和治疗，这是本更新研究的新领域。数据分析将以生命历程和符号交互理论为依据。首先，这些发现将为我们在亚特兰大郊区MA使用的原始研究中发现的性别差异提供更全面的理解。其次，纵向设计将确定郊区女性MA用户的hiv风险行为和风险行为随时间的变化。第三，在本研究人群中，关于卫生服务的利用和获得所需卫生保健的知识将更好地为未来的卫生保健举措提供信息。此外，研究结果将为郊区女性MA用户在个人和社区层面提出针对性别和社会适当干预措施的建议。