Financial hardship and drug use among men who have sex with men

• Main Authors: Su Hyun Park, Yazan Al-Ajlouni, Joseph J. Palamar, William C. Goedel, Anthony Estreet, Brian Elbel, Scott E. Sherman, Dustin T. Duncan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2018-05-01
• Series: Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy
• Subjects: Financial hardship; Drug use; Tobacco; Alcohol; Men who have sex with men (MSM)
• Online Access: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13011-018-0159-0

Abstract Background Little is known about the role of financial hardship as it relates to drug use, especially among men who have sex with men (MSM). As such, this study aimed to investigate potential associations between financial hardship status and drug use among MSM. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 580 MSM in Paris recruited using a popular geosocial-networking smartphone application (GSN apps). Descriptive analyses and multivariate analyses were performed. A modified Poisson model was used to assess associations between financial hardship status and use of drugs (any drugs, tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, inhalant nitrites, and club drugs). Results In our sample, 45.5% reported that it was somewhat, very, or extremely difficult to meet monthly payments of bills (high financial hardship). In multivariate analyses, a high level of financial hardship was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of reporting use of any substance use (adjusted risk ratio [aRR] = 1.15; 95% CI = 1.05–1.27), as well as use of tobacco (aRR = 1.45; 95% CI = 1.19–1.78), marijuana (aRR = 1.48; 95% CI =1.03–2.13), and inhalant nitrites (aRR = 1.24; 95% CI = 1.03–1.50). Conclusions Financial hardship was associated with drug use among MSM, suggesting the need for interventions to reduce the burden of financial hardship in this population.