Title
The Effectiveness of Internet- and Field-Based Methods to Recruit Young Adults Who Use Prescription Opioids Nonmedically
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Quantitative Health Sciences; Commonwealth Medicine, Center for Health Policy and Research
Publication Date
2018-01-24
Document Type
Article
Disciplines
Epidemiology | Health Services Research | Substance Abuse and Addiction
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Nonmedical prescription opioid (NMPO) use is a problem among young adults, yet young NMPO users are a diverse population that has been challenging to engage in overdose prevention and harm reduction programs.
OBJECTIVES: This study compared the effectiveness and characteristics of persons recruited through two different sampling strategies to inform research and intervention efforts with young adult NMPO users.
METHODS: We analyzed data from the Rhode Island Young Adult Prescription Drug Study (RAPiDS), which enrolled persons aged 18 to 29 who reported past 30-day NMPO use. We compared the characteristics of two samples recruited simultaneously between February 2015 and February 2016. One sample was recruited using field-based strategies (e.g., respondent-driven sampling, transit ads), and a second from internet sources (e.g., online classifieds).
RESULTS: Among 198 eligible participants, the median age was 25 (IQR: 22, 27), 130 (65.7%) were male, 123 (63.1%) were white, and 150 (78.1%) resided in urban areas. A total of 79 (39.9%) were recruited using field-based strategies and 119 (60.1%) were recruited from internet sources. Internet-recruited persons were younger (median = 24 [IQR: 21, 27] vs. 26 [IQR: 23, 28] years) and more likely to reside in rural areas (16.2% vs. 5.3%), although this finding was marginally significant. Field-recruited participants were more likely to have been homeless (36.7% vs. 17.7%), have been incarcerated (39.7% vs. 21.8%), and engage in daily NMPO use (34.6% vs. 14.5%).
CONCLUSIONS: Multipronged outreach methods are needed to engage the full spectrum of young adult NMPO users in prevention and harm reduction efforts.
Keywords
Youth, opioid-related disorders, prescription opioids, sampling, young adults
DOI of Published Version
10.1080/10826084.2018.1425725
Source
Subst Use Misuse. 2018 Jan 24:1-12. doi: 10.1080/10826084.2018.1425725. [Epub ahead of print] Link to article on publisher's site
Journal/Book/Conference Title
Substance use and misuse
PubMed ID
29364768
Related Resources
Repository Citation
Marshall BD, Green TC, Elston B, Yedinak JL, Hadland SE, Clark MA. (2018). The Effectiveness of Internet- and Field-Based Methods to Recruit Young Adults Who Use Prescription Opioids Nonmedically. Population and Quantitative Health Sciences Publications. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2018.1425725. Retrieved from https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/qhs_pp/1169