TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2015//
TI  - Characteristics of drug-abusing females with and without children seeking treatment in Helsinki, Finland
JO  - Scandinavian journal of public health
A1  - Basnet, Sushil
A1  - Onyeka, Ifeoma N.
A1  - Tiihonen, Jari
A1  - Föhr, Jaana
A1  - Kauhanen, Jussi
SP  - 221
EP  - 228
VL  - 43
IS  - 3
N2  - Aims: This study characterizes treatment-seeking female users of illicit drugs in Finland, and examines possible differences among women with or without children under 18. <br><br>METHODS: The subjects were 2526 drug-using clients from the Helsinki metropolitan area, who sought treatment at Helsinki Deaconess Institute between 2001 and 2008. A total of 775 (30.6%) were females with complete information regarding their parental status. Of these, 225 (29%) had children under 18. The proportion of women with children varied between 20% and 30% annually, except in 2006, when it peaked at 40.5%. <br><br>RESULTS: Women with children were more likely to be somewhat older (p<0.001), married or cohabiting (p<0.001), homeless (p=0.007), unemployed (p<0.001), and living with other illicit drug users (p=0.014), compared with those without children. Self-referral and referral to treatment by child healthcare services were more common among those who had children (p<0.001). A higher proportion of women with children reported use of opiates as the primary drug (p<0.001), and used them more often intravenously (p=0.001), and daily (p=0.007), during the previous month. However, polydrug use (p=0.607) and sharing of needles/syringes (p=0.945) were similar in both groups. Prevalence of hepatitis B and C (p=0.041 and p<0.001, respectively) were more common in females with children. Among women who had children, 34.2% had children living within the same household, 37.3% in foster care, and 22.7% elsewhere. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Women with children had more risky drug consumption patterns, and were more likely to live with other drug users; this creates an unhealthy environment for child rearing.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1403-4948
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1403494814567754
ID  - ref1
ER  -