Citation

Prangnell A, Nosova E, Milloy MJ, Wood E, Hayashi K. Addict. Behav. 2018; 89: 224-228.

Affiliation

British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada; Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada. Electronic address: bccsu-kh@bccsu.ubc.ca.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.08.016

PMID

30326463

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Despite the acute drug-related and behavioural risk factors for experiencing a drug overdose, few remote childhood experiences have been examined as risk factors for subsequent later life overdose risk. Parental heavy drinking has been associated with some later life negative outcomes, but little is known regarding the impact on drug overdoses, especially among people who inject drugs. Given the current overdose crisis in North America, we sought to evaluate the impact of parental heavy drinking on later life non-fatal overdose among people who inject drugs in Vancouver, Canada.

METHODS: Data were derived from two prospective cohort studies of community-recruited people who inject drugs in Vancouver between December 2012 and May 2016. We employed multivariable generalized estimating equations to examine the relationship between parental heavy drinking and non-fatal overdose in the past six months.

RESULTS: Among 327 eligible participants, 111 (33.9%) reported parental heavy drinking and 95 (29.1%) reported a non-fatal overdose at least once during the study period. In a multivariable analysis, experiencing parental heavy drinking remained independently associated with non-fatal overdose (adjusted odds ratio: 1.69; 95% confidence interval: 1.07-2.66) after adjustment for a range of socio-demographic and drug using confounders.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest long-term negative impacts of parental heavy drinking, on subsequent risk taking or other mechanisms associated with overdose. Current overdose prevention efforts may benefit from the evaluation of life course vulnerabilities that may be amenable to earlier interventions.

Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Alcohol; Childhood exposures; Morbidity; Overdose; Parental heavy drinking