Social support and HIV-related injection risk among Puerto Rican migrant and nonmigrant injection drug users recruited in New York City

Milton Mino, Sherry Deren, Yeon Kang Sung

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This study compared the associations between social support and HIV injection risk among Puerto Rican migrant (n = 221) and nonmigrant (n = 340) injection drug users in New York City. Practical and emotional support scales were developed from 8 items and examined by migrant status as predictors of risk. Bivariate and regression analysis were conducted with drug shooting gallery use, sharing needles, paraphernalia, and number of monthly injections as dependent variables. Migrants had lower emotional (2.82 vs. 3.19, p = .002) and practical (1.87 vs. 2.05; p = .051) support than nonmigrants. Controlling for age, sex and homelessness, emotional supportwas negatively associated to injection frequency and (standardized coefficient = -.168, p = .020) gallery use (adjusted odds ration [AOR] = .76, confidence interval [CI] = .62-.94, p = .011) among migrants and to an almost twofold increase in sharing syringes(AOR= 1.87, CI = 1.02-3.43; p = .041) among nonmigrants. The findings suggest that thoughmigrants have less support than nonmigrants do, their support reduces risk and thus their likelihood of injection-related HIV infection.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)81-90
Number of pages10
JournalAIDS Education and Prevention
Volume18
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2006

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Health(social science)
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Infectious Diseases

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