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Health-related quality of life in young cocaine users and associated factors

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Abstract

Aim

To analyse drug consumption patterns and demographic and medical factors associated with health-related quality of life (HRQL) in a nonclinical sample of regular cocaine consumers.

Methods

Face-to-face interviews with 687 young regular cocaine users (aged 18–30 years) in three Spanish cities: Barcelona, Madrid and Seville. HRQL was measured using the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), and degree of dependence through the Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS). Bivariate analyses were conducted using nonparametric techniques, and a Tobit regression analysis was carried out to determine which variables best explained HRQL.

Results

Most participants showed a good HRQL, but differences in HRQL were found for sociodemographic (gender), medical (days stayed in bed during the previous 12 months) and consumption-pattern related variables (length of drug use, intravenous drug use, crack use, SDS). In multivariate analyses cocaine dependence measured by SDS explained the greatest amount of HRQL variation. Although women declared worse HRQL (13.6 versus 9.7, P < 0.01), in the final model with interactions no gender differences were observed, except that HRQL for women worsened with the number of days they had stayed in bed in the previous 12 months.

Conclusions

Even in early phases of dependence, deterioration in HRQL is observed, mainly related to drug-use history and patterns.

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Acknowledgements

The study was financed by the Fundación para Investigación y la Prevención del Sida en España (FIPSE 36253/01), the analyses by FIS-Redes de investigación cooperativa RTICS: C03-09 (RCESP) and G03 03-005 (RTA) and administrative support by CIRIT 22001SGR00405.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Information System and Research, Andalusian Foundation for Drug Addiction Care, Seville, Spain

    O. M. Lozano

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain

    O. M. Lozano

  3. Drug Abuse Epidemiology Research Group, Institut Municipal d’Investigació Mèdica (IMIM-Hospital del Mar), PRBB, Doctor Aiguader, 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain

    A. Domingo-Salvany

  4. CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain http://ciberesp.info/

    A. Domingo-Salvany, M. T. Brugal, J. Alonso & L. de la Fuente

  5. Lleida Biomedical Research Institute (IRBLLEIDA), Lleida University, Lleida, Spain

    M. Martinez-Alonso

  6. Public Health Agency (ASPB), Barcelona, Spain

    M. T. Brugal

  7. Health Services Research Unit, Institut Municipal d’Investigació Mèdica (IMIM-Hospital del Mar), PRBB, Doctor Aiguader, 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain

    J. Alonso

  8. Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain

    L. de la Fuente

Authors
  1. O. M. Lozano
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  2. A. Domingo-Salvany
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  3. M. Martinez-Alonso
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  4. M. T. Brugal
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  5. J. Alonso
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  6. L. de la Fuente
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ITINERE Investigators

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Domingo-Salvany.

Additional information

ITINERE Investigators include: Rosario Ballesta Gomez, Gregorio Barrio, Francisco González-Saiz, M José Bravo Portela, Dani Lacasa, David Fernández, Sofia Ruiz Curado, Fermin Fernández Calderón, Teresa Silva, Luis Royuela, Fernando Vallejo, Montserrat Neira, and José Pulido.

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Lozano, O.M., Domingo-Salvany, A., Martinez-Alonso, M. et al. Health-related quality of life in young cocaine users and associated factors. Qual Life Res 17, 977–985 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-008-9376-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-008-9376-8

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