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Biomedical subjects

M D Anglin

Publications and source records attributed to M D Anglin.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Pattern reliability of narcotics addicts' self-reported data: a confirmatory assessment of construct validity and consistency.

Pattern reliability, or the invariance of relationships among variables, was investigated in this study. The consistency of theoretical constructs reflected by measures taken at two separate occasions can be tested using confirmatory factor analysis. Self-report data were obtained from 323 narcotics addicts in two face-to-face interviews conducted in 1974/75 and 1985/86. The two interviews overlapped approximately 4 years between 1970 and 1974/75. Through the testing of the invariance of measurement and structural models, pattern reliability was confirmed in one of the models developed. Explication of pattern reliability offers an alternative means of assessing validity of self-report data.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

The acquisition and maintenance of safer sexual behaviors among injection drug users.

The current research tests stage-sequential models of safer sexual behavior using a new method for data analysis called Latent Transition Analysis (LTA). Results are presented from data collected on 359 injection drug users participating in a seroconversion study conducted by the UCLA Drug Abuse Research Center. We identified a six-stage model that adequately represented the data. Results indicate that respondents moved back and forth among high, medium, and low risk stages. This finding highlights the need for continual, sustained interventions to help maintain safer sex and drug-using behaviors in high-risk groups.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Cocaine and crack use and HIV risk behaviors among high-risk methadone maintenance clients.

A discriminant function analysis was performed with data from 409 high-risk heroin addicts at intake into a methadone maintenance treatment program to determine the characteristics of cocaine users. Cocaine users presented a higher-risk profile for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), engaged in a wider variety of criminal activities, were more likely to be African-American, reported more alcohol use, and showed more signs of psychological disturbance. A second discriminant function analysis determined that crack smokers differed from non-crack cocaine users in ethnicity, alcohol use, criminal activity, needle use, and marital status. Heroin addicts who use cocaine, in particular crack, represent a sub-group at higher risk and in need of targeted treatment planning and monitoring.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1995

Intentions to share injection paraphernalia: an empirical test of the AIDS Risk Reduction Model among injection drug users.

The AIDS Risk Reduction Model is a theory-based representation of sequential psychosocial processes by which people may attempt to change their HIV risk behavior. These processes are said to occur in three stages: 1) labeling one's risk behavior as problematic, 2) forming an intention to change behavior, and 3) taking action to accomplish change. Cognitive and perceptual factors are said to influence progress across stages. This study tests the degree to which hypothesized relationships among factors at Stages 1 and 2 are consistent with cross-sectional data collected from a sample of HIV-negative injection drug users who reported recent sharing of drug injection paraphernalia ("works"). Findings indicate that intentions to share works less often in the future may be influenced directly by drug users' perceived risk of infection, which in turn is influenced by their level of HIV knowledge, perceived susceptibility to HIV, and perceived peer norms regarding drug-related risk reduction.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1994

Tobacco use as a distal predictor of mortality among long-term narcotics addicts.

BACKGROUND: This study examined patterns of tobacco and narcotics use, associated morbidity, and subsequent mortality among long-term narcotics addicts. METHODS: The analysis included 405 patients selected from admissions to the California Civil Addict Program during 1962 through 1964. Measures were obtained at admission and at two face-to-face interviews conducted in 1974-1975 and 1985-1986 and included use of narcotics, tobacco, alcohol, and other substances, as well as morbidity and mortality information. RESULTS: For the 405 addicts interviewed initially in 1974-1975, the average age was 36.7 years, the mean age at onset of smoking was 13.1 years, and first narcotics use occurred at 18.4 years. Ninety-eight percent reported experience with cigarette smoking, 84% were currently smoking, and 31% tested positive for opiates by urinalysis. In 1985-1986, at the second interview, among the 328 interviewed, 74% reported current smoking and 32% tested positive for opiates. Seventy-seven (19%) had died. Major proximal causes of death included drug overdose, violence, and alcohol-related conditions. The death rate of the smokers identified in 1974-1975 was four times that of nonsmokers. The only other distal variable that predicted mortality was disability status in 1974-1975. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking status and disability history were major distal predictors of subsequent death. However, tobacco-attributable mortality was directly substantiated as a proximal cause of death by only 16% of the death certificates.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Reducing HIV risk behavior among injection drug users: effect of methadone maintenance treatment on number of sex partners.

Some studies have found that sex-related HIV risk behavior is less common among drug users in treatment than among users not in treatment; other studies have found no such relationship. However, past studies have not controlled for drug-user background characteristics that might confound the relationship between treatment and risk behavior. Among this sample of injection drug users in Los Angeles, those enrolled in methadone maintenance treatment report fewer past-year sex partners than those not in treatment; among treatment clients, number of past-year partners is negatively related to time in treatment. These findings persist after age and other background characteristics are controlled. Path analyses suggest that treatment may reduce sex-risk behavior by facilitating clients' disengagement from paid sex and raising their perceived self-efficacy for risk reduction.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Perceiving need for drug treatment: a look at eight hypotheses.

Data from the Drug Use Forecasting Program, sponsored by the National Institute of Justice, were used to examine eight hypotheses predicting the perceived need for drug treatment among drug-using arrestees. The findings support five of the eight hypotheses, including those related to drug severity, drug type, prior treatment experience, ethnicity, and the fear of AIDS. There was no support for the gender-related help-seeking or the social isolation hypotheses, and the findings contradict the maturing out hypothesis. The policy implications of our findings are discussed.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1994

Case management within a methadone maintenance program. A research demonstration project for HIV risk reduction.

The Los Angeles Enhanced Methadone Maintenance Project has incorporated case management in order to evaluate its effectiveness in reducing the risk of infection and/or transmission of human immunodeficiency virus among high-risk heroin addicts. Those recruited into the National Institute on Drug Abuse-funded treatment/research demonstration project were randomly assigned to either an enhanced group that received case management services or to a control group receiving standard methadone maintenance services. To date, the project has identified several barriers to implementation on a wide scale, including the inordinate amount of time spent assisting patients to procure basic necessities; the unwillingness of patients to participate in certain support services; and the reluctance of many service providers to work with methadone patients.

HIV Infections↗
PubMed1993

Allelic association of the D2 dopamine receptor gene with cocaine dependence.

The objective of the present study was to examine allelic prevalence of the D2 dopamine receptor (DRD2) gene in male cocaine-dependent (CD) Caucasian (non-Hispanic) subjects and to determine the relationship of DRD2 alleles to family history and selected behavioral measures. The prevalence of the A1 allele in CD subjects (n = 53) was 50.9%. It was significantly higher than either the 16.0% prevalence (P < 10(-4)) in non-substance abusing controls (n = 100) or the 30.9% prevalence (P < 10(-2)) in population controls (n = 265) wherein substance abusers were not excluded. Similarly, a significantly higher prevalence (P < 10(-2)) of the B1 allele was found in CD subjects (n = 52) compared with non-substance abusing controls (n = 53); 38.5% vs. 13.2%. Logistic regression analysis of CD subjects identified potent routes of cocaine use and the interaction of early deviant behaviors and parental alcoholism as significant risk factors associated with the A1 allele. The cumulative number of these three risk factors in CD subjects was positively and significantly (P < 10(-3)) related to A1 allelic prevalence. The data showing a strong association of the minor alleles (A1 and B1) of the DRD2 with cocaine dependence suggest that a gene, located on the q22-q23 region of chromosome 11, confers susceptibility to this drug disorder.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Drug-related HIV risk behaviors and cocaine preference among injection drug users in Los Angeles.

Based on a 1988-91 sample of 422 drug-using arrestees in Los Angeles, this study compares the drug-related risk behavior of users whose preferred injection drug is cocaine and users with a preference for heroin or no preference between the two drugs. Cocaine preference is unrelated to the likelihood of needle sharing overall, needle sharing with strangers, needle sharing at shooting galleries, and failure to use bleach as a needle disinfectant. In analyses restricted to users who reported needle sharing, the frequency of sharing is no more closely related to heroin injection frequency than to cocaine injection frequency. These results suggest that local preventive education programs do not need to address distinctive patterns of drug-related risk behavior among injection cocaine users and injection heroin users in Los Angeles.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Treatment effectiveness for legally coerced versus voluntary methadone maintenance clients.

Analyses examined whether addicts reporting themselves coerced into drug abuse treatment by actions of the criminal justice system differed from voluntary admissions in their response to treatment, and whether such responsiveness varied across gender or ethnicity. Six hundred eighteen methadone maintenance clients admitted to programs in six southern California counties were categorized into high, moderate, and low legal coercion levels. Multivariate analysis of variance procedures for repeated measures (before, during, and after initial treatment episode) were used to test relevant hypotheses. Dependent variables included criminal justice system contact, criminal activities, drug and alcohol involvement, and measures of social functioning. Few differences within any measured domain were found among the three groups. All groups were similar in showing substantial improvement in levels of narcotics use, criminal activities, and most other behaviors during treatment with some regression in these behaviors posttreatment. Results support legal coercion as a valid motivation for treatment entry; those coerced into treatment respond in ways similar to voluntary admissions regardless of gender or ethnicity.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Alcohol and heroin use patterns of narcotics addicts: gender and ethnic differences.

Data on lifetime alcohol and heroin use by 443 White and Chicano addicts of both genders were obtained from a sample of admissions to several Southern California methadone maintenance programs. Patterns of alcohol and heroin use were examined with respect to gender and ethnic differences. Repeated-measures MANOVA established an inverse pattern of alcohol and heroin use for all four groups, confirming and extending the findings of a previous study by the authors. With this additional evidence, the authors propose a compensatory model that explains the obtained inverse pattern of alcohol and heroin use and that may be suitable in examining concurrent or sequential use of other psychoactive substances in addition to alcohol. Significantly higher levels of heavy alcohol use were reported by Chicano than by White addicts. Overall findings indicate that after heroin addiction occurs, there is a convergence in patterns of substance use by both genders, although variations related to ethnicity persist, particularly for alcohol use.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Ethnic and gender differences in drug users' perceived need for treatment.

Little is known about ethnic and gender variation in drug users' perceived need for treatment or about the predisposing factors that might account for such variation. Among 1,170 drug-using arrestees in Los Angeles, perceived need for treatment is positively related to these predisposing factors: self-reported drug dependence, attitude toward treatment for drug use, and occurrence of drug-related problems other than dependence. Self-reported drug dependence is higher among women and accounts for the greater perceived need reported by women. Hispanics are less likely to perceive a need for treatment. Among daily drug users, both Hispanics and Africans Americans are less likely to do so. These ethnic differences are not explained by self-reported drug dependence or any other predisposing factor. Implications for treatment referral, intake, and counseling are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Methadone maintenance and needle/syringe sharing.

Drug users who inject drugs while in treatment share needles/syringes less often than users not in treatment. This relationship may reflect treatment processes, such as cognitive or normative change, by which treatment clients are influenced to lower their HIV infection risk. However, reduced needle/syringe sharing among treatment clients may instead be simply a collateral result of reduced injection frequency. In this sample of injection drug users, those who continued to inject while in methadone maintenance treatment reported less sharing than users not in methadone maintenance. This relationship persisted after injection frequency and drug-user background characteristics were controlled. Efforts to identify explanatory treatment processes were, however, not successful.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Trends in self-reported HIV risk behavior: injection drug users in Los Angeles.

This article reviews trends in HIV risk behaviors across serial samples of Los Angeles injection drug users interviewed between 1987 and 1991. All indicators are based on self-reported behavior during the year before the interview. Findings show persistent drug-related risk behaviors. No decrease has occurred in needle sharing with strangers/acquaintances or at shooting galleries. No increase has occurred in self-reported avoidance of needle sharing for as long as 1 year. The only exception to this pattern is a significant increase in bleach use among injection drug users who share needles. Findings are mixed regarding sex-related risk behaviors. Drug users have not reduced their yearly number of sex partners, but condom use has become more prevalent among nonmonogamous drug users. We conclude that preventive education will need to adopt new strategies for addressing persistent risk behaviors while at the same time reinforcing favorable trends that have already begun.

Adult↗