Citation

Li MJ, Okafor CN, Gorbach PM, Shoptaw S. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2018; 192: 179-185.

Affiliation

Center for Behavioral and Addiction Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, United States.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.07.039

PMID

30266002

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Men who have sex with men with histories of homophobic victimization bear heightened risk of unstable housing and methamphetamine use. However, it is unclear whether unstable housing explains the link between homophobic victimization and methamphetamine use in this group. The present study aims to test associations between homophobic victimization, unstable housing, and recent methamphetamine use across 24 months in a cohort of men of color who have sex with men (MoCSM).

METHODS: Our analysis stems from data of 1342 person-visits from 401 MoCSM participating in an ongoing cohort study. We performed a lagged multilevel negative binominal regression to test the association between past homophobic victimization and recent unstable housing, and a lagged multilevel ordered logistic regression to test the association between past homophobic victimization recent methamphetamine use. We then performed a path analysis to test whether recent unstable housing mediates the association between past homophobic victimization and recent methamphetamine use.

RESULTS: Findings showed homophobic victimization associated significantly with increased odds of unstable housing (IRR = 1.70, 95% CI [1.35, 2.14], p < 0.001) and recent methamphetamine use (OR = 1.40, 95% CI [1.15, 1.71], p = 0.001). Mediation analysis indicated that past homophobic victimization was indirectly associated with recent methamphetamine use via unstable housing (OR = 1.06 (95% CI [1.01, 1.11], p = 0.010).

CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that homophobic victimization and unstable housing should be addressed alongside treatment and prevention of methamphetamine use in MoCSM.

Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Black; Homophobia; Latino; Men who have sex with men; Methamphetamine; Unstable housing; Victimization