Factors for employment: A case-control study of fully employed and unemployed heroin users

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to characterize fully employed users of heroin, compare them with their unemployed counterparts, and identify demographic, human, and social capital and drug misuse factors that are differentially associated with full employment. A nested case-control research design was used to identify 122 fully employed users (cases) and 466 unemployed users (controls) from a larger study of African American, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic White men and women who were active heroin injectors and sniffers and recruited from the streets of Miami-Dade County, Florida, between July 1997 and February 2000. Multivariate logistic regression techniques were used to analyze data from the Modified AIDS Risk Behavior Questionnaire. Findings indicated that employed users were more likely to possess human capital and social capital and less likely to use crack cocaine than unemployed users. Intervention to increase and sustain the employability of persons who misuse heroin is essential. Protocols that enhance human capital and social capital and reduce the misuse of drugs will benefit programs that seek to improve the employment status of persons who misuse heroin. The study's limitations are noted.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1035-1054
Number of pages20
JournalSubstance Use and Misuse
Volume42
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2007
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

  • Medicine (miscellaneous)
  • Health(social science)
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

Keywords

  • Employment
  • Heroin use
  • Human capital
  • Social capital

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