Dataset Information

The moderating role of resilience in the relationship between experiences of COVID-19 response-related discrimination and disinformation among people who inject drugs.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Due to the persistence of COVID-19, it remains important to measure and examine potential barriers to COVID-19 prevention and treatment to avert additional loss of life, particularly among stigmatized populations, such as people who inject drugs (PWID), who are at high risk for contracting and spreading SARS-CoV-2. We assessed the psychometrics of a novel COVID-19 response-related discrimination scale among PWID, and characterized associations between COVID-19 response-related discrimination, resilience to adversity, and endorsement of COVID-19 disinformation.

Methods

We assessed internal reliability, structural validity and construct validity of a 4-item COVID-19 response-related discrimination scale among PWID living in San Diego County, completing interviewer-administered surveys between October 2020 and September 2021. Using negative binomial regression, we assessed the relationship between COVID-19 response-related discrimination and disinformation and the potential moderating role of resilience.

Results

Of 381 PWID, mean age was 42.6 years and the majority were male (75.6 %) and Hispanic (61.9 %). The COVID-19 response-related discrimination scale had modest reliability (α = 0.66, ω = 0.66) as a single construct with acceptable construct validity (all p ≤ 0.05). Among 216 PWID who completed supplemental surveys, a significant association between COVID-19 response-related discrimination and COVID-19 disinformation was observed, which was moderated by resilience (p = 0.044). Specifically, among PWID with high levels of resilience, endorsement of COVID-19 disinformation significantly increased as exposure to COVID-19 response-related discrimination increased (p = 0.011).

Conclusions

These findings suggest that intervening on COVID-19 response-related discrimination may offset the negative outcomes associated with COVID-19 disinformation.

SUBMITTER: Algarin AB

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9981478 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

The moderating role of resilience in the relationship between experiences of COVID-19 response-related discrimination and disinformation among people who inject drugs.

Algarin Angel B AB Yeager Samantha S Patterson Thomas L TL Strathdee Steffanie A SA Harvey-Vera Alicia A Vera Carlos F CF Stamos-Buesig Tara T Artamanova Irina I Abramovitz Daniela D Smith Laramie R LR

Drug and alcohol dependence 20230303

<h4>Background</h4>Due to the persistence of COVID-19, it remains important to measure and examine potential barriers to COVID-19 prevention and treatment to avert additional loss of life, particularly among stigmatized populations, such as people who inject drugs (PWID), who are at high risk for contracting and spreading SARS-CoV-2. We assessed the psychometrics of a novel COVID-19 response-related discrimination scale among PWID, and characterized associations between COVID-19 response-related ...[more]

PMID: 36924661

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Project description:BackgroundDespite Thailand's commitment to treating people who use drugs as "patients" not "criminals," Thai authorities continue to emphasize criminal law enforcement for drug control. In 2003, Thailand's drug war received international criticism due to extensive human rights violations. However, few studies have since investigated the impact of policing on drug-using populations. Therefore, we sought to examine experiences with policing among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Bangkok, Thailand, between 2008 and 2012.Methods and findingsBetween July 2011 and June 2012, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 42 community-recruited PWID participating in the Mitsampan Community Research Project in Bangkok. Interviews explored PWID's encounters with police during the past three years. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim, and a thematic analysis was conducted to document the character of PWID's experiences with police. Respondents indicated that policing activities had noticeably intensified since rapid urine toxicology screening became available to police. Respondents reported various forms of police misconduct, including false accusations, coercion of confessions, excessive use of force, and extortion of money. However, respondents were reluctant to report misconduct to the authorities in the face of social and structural barriers to seeking justice. Respondents' strategies to avoid police impeded access to health care and facilitated transitions towards the misuse of prescribed pharmaceuticals. The study's limitations relate to the transferability of the findings, including the potential biases associated with the small convenience sample.ConclusionsThis study suggests that policing in Bangkok has involved injustices, human rights abuses, and corruption, and policing practices in this setting appeared to have increased PWID's vulnerability to poor health through various pathways. Novel to this study are findings pertaining to the use of urine drug testing by police, which highlight the potential for widespread abuse of this emerging technology. These findings raise concern about ongoing policing practices in this setting.

Dataset Information

The moderating role of resilience in the relationship between experiences of COVID-19 response-related discrimination and disinformation among people who inject drugs.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

The moderating role of resilience in the relationship between experiences of COVID-19 response-related discrimination and disinformation among people who inject drugs.

Similar Datasets

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