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Table 2 Baseline characteristics of HAART-exposed crack cocaine users in Vancouver, Canada, stratified by pVL non-detectability (n = 438)

From: Factors associated with optimal pharmacy refill adherence for antiretroviral medications and plasma HIV RNA non-detectability among HIV-positive crack cocaine users: a prospective cohort study

Characteristic

Total

(n = 438)

n (%)

pVL <50 copies/mLa

p-value

Yes

212 (48.4 %)

No

226 (51.6 %)

Age (median, IQR)

44 (38–49)

45 (41–51)

42 (36–47)

<0.001

Gender

 Male

293 (66.9 %)

149 (70.3 %)

144 (63.7 %)

0.145

 Female

145 (33.1 %)

63 (29.7 %)

82 (36.3 %)

reference

Ancestry

 Caucasian

239 (54.6 %)

122 (57.5 %)

117 (51.8 %)

0.225

 Non-Caucasian

199 (45.4 %)

90 (42.5 %)

109 (48.2 %)

reference

Education

  < Secondary education

228 (52.1 %)

107 (50.5 %)

121 (53.5 %)

0.462

  ≥ Secondary education

196 (44.7 %)

99 (46.7 %)

97 (42.9 %)

reference

Homelessa

 Yes

129 (29.5 %)

36 (17.0 %)

93 (41.2 %)

<0.001

 No

306 (69.9 %)

174 (82.1 %)

132 (58.4 %)

reference

Crack cocaine smokinga

  ≥ Daily

175 (40.0 %)

72 (34.0 %)

103 (45.6 %)

0.013

  < Daily

263 (60.0 %)

140 (66.0 %)

123 (54.4 %)

reference

Heroin usea

  ≥ Daily

48 (11.0 %)

16 (7.5 %)

32 (14.2 %)

0.026

  < Daily

389 (88.8 %)

196 (92.5 %)

193 (85.4 %)

reference

Crystal methamphetamine usea,c

  ≥ Daily

9 (2.1 %)

6 (2.8 %)

3 (1.3 %)

0.326

  < Daily

428 (97.7 %)

206 (97.2 %)

222 (98.2 %)

reference

Heavy alcohol use (≥5 drinks per day)a,c

 Yes

13 (3.0 %)

4 (1.9 %)

9 (4.0 %)

0.263

 No

425 (97.0 %)

208 (98.1 %)

217 (96.0 %)

reference

Engagement in sex work or drug dealinga

 Yes

164 (37.4 %)

72 (34.0 %)

92 (40.7 %)

0.145

 No

270 (61.6 %)

138 (65.1 %)

132 (58.4 %)

reference

Incarcerationa

 Yes

58 (13.2 %)

25 (11.8 %)

33 (14.6 %)

0.386

 No

380 (86.8 %)

187 (88.2 %)

193 (85.4 %)

reference

HIV physician experienceb

 Previously treated <6 patients

48 (11.0 %)

21 (9.9 %)

27 (11.9 %)

0.418

 Previously treated ≥6 patients

340 (77.6 %)

170 (80.2 %)

170 (75.2 %)

reference

CD4 cell counta (median, IQR)

300 (180–450)

360 (260–500)

230 (110–360)

<0.001

Years since HAART initiationa (median, IQR)

5.7 (2.2–8.5)

5.9 (2.3–8.7)

5.5 (2.1–8.4)

0.243

Regimenb

 Single tablet per day

34 (7.8 %)

18 (8.5 %)

16 (7.1 %)

0.713

 2-3 tablets per day

121 (27.6 %)

78 (36.8 %)

43 (19.0 %)

0.008

  > 3 tablets per day

230 (52.5 %)

114 (53.8 %)

116 (51.3 %)

reference

Participation in inpatient addiction treatmenta

 Yes

35 (8.0 %)

14 (6.6 %)

21 (9.3 %)

0.300

 No

403 (92.0 %)

198 (93.4 %)

205 (90.7 %)

reference

Participation in outpatient detoxification or other outpatient addiction treatmenta,c

 Yes

5 (1.1 %)

4 (1.9 %)

1 (0.4 %)

0.203

 No

433 (98.9 %)

208 (98.1 %)

225 (99.6 %)

reference

Seeing drug counsellors or participation in addiction-related peer support meetingsa

 Yes

43 (9.8 %)

30 (14.2 %)

13 (5.8 %)

0.003

 No

395 (90.2 %)

182 (85.8 %)

213 (94.2 %)

reference

Restricted to dual crack cocaine and opioid users (n = 293)

Participation in opioid substitution therapiesa

 Yes

186 (63.5 %)

98 (72.6 %)

88 (55.7 %)

0.003

 No

107 (36.5 %)

37 (29.4 %)

70 (45.4 %)

reference

  1. HAART highly active antiretroviral therapy, CI confidence interval, IQR interquartile range, pVL plasma HIV RNA viral load
  2. a denotes activities/events in the past 6 months
  3. b denotes at the time of antiretroviral therapy initiation
  4. c p-values were derived from Fisher’s exact test
  5. Not all cells added up to 100 % due to some missing values