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Table 1 Baseline characteristics among participants retained and participants LTFU from baseline interview in the PATH study (N = 400)

From: Strategies to maximise study retention and limit attrition bias in a prospective cohort study of men reporting a history of injecting drug use released from prison: the prison and transition health study

 

Retained (n = 336)

Lost to follow-up (n = 64)

Diff. in propsd/ mean diff.e

95% CI

Age, years - mean (SD)e

35.3 (8.0)

38.5 (9.5)

−3.11

−5.33, − 0.88

Recruitment prison security level – n (%)

 Low

86 (26)

22 (34)

−0.09

− 0.21, 0.04

 Medium

95 (28)

16 (25)

0.03

−0.08, 0.15

 Maximum

155 (46)

26 (41)

0.06

−0.08, 0.19

Born outside Australian (vs. in Australia) – n (%)

304 (91)

54 (84)

− 0.06

−0.15, 0.03

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (vs. no) – n (%)

56 (17)

10 (16)

0.01

−0.09, 0.11

Stable relationship prior to prison (vs. no) – n (%)

123 (37)

24 (38)

−0.01

−0.14, 0.12

Education < 10 years (vs. ≥10 yrs.) – n (%)

136 (41)

31 (48)

− 0.08

− 0.21, 0.05

Main income source before prison – n (%)

 Government paymenta

163 (49)

35 (55)

−0.07

−0.20, 0.07

 Illegal activities

132 (39)

21 (33)

0.06

−0.06, 0.19

 Paid work (inc. cash in hand)

31 (9)

5 (8)

0.01

−0.06, 0.09

 Other sources

8 (2)

2 (3)

−0.01

−0.05, 0.04

Accommodation prior to incarceration – n (%)

 Private rental (single or shared)

90 (27)

18 (28)

−0.00

−0.12, 0.12

 Family home

66 (20)

11 (17)

0.03

−0.07, 0.14

 Public housing

60 (18)

16 (25)

−0.07

− 0.18, 0.05

 No fixed addressb

82 (24)

15 (23)

0.02

−0.09, 0.13

 Owner occupied

20 (6)

3 (5)

0.02

−0.04, 0.07

Removed from parent’s care, ever (vs no) – n (%)

86 (26)

14 (22)

0.03

−0.08, 0.15

Declared state ward, ever (vs no) – n (%)

50 (16)

12 (19)

−0.04

−0.14, 0.07

Parent/caregiver (vs no) – n (%)

218 (65)

49 (77)

−0.11

−0.22, 0.01

Child protection involvement with childrenc (vs no) – n (%)

98 (29)

20 (31)

−0.02

−0.14, 0.10

Mental illness diagnosis, ever (vs no) – n (%)

272 (81)

52 (81)

−0.00

−0.11, 0.10

Suicide attempt, ever (vs no) – n (%)

159 (47)

23 (36)

0.11

−0.02, 0.24

Age of first injection, years – mean (SD)e

18.4 (5.4)

19.2 (6.8)

−0.81

−2.33, 0.71

Duration of IDU, years – mean (SD)e

17 (8.8)

19 (10.1)

−2.30

−4.71, 0.12

Total injections week prior to prison – mean (SD)e

29 (25.3)

33 (25.8)

−3.61

−10.36, 3.14

Shared used syringe, ever (vs no) – n (%)

229 (68)

46 (72)

−0.04

−0.16, 0.08

Injected in prison, ever (vs no) – n (%)

159 (47)

30 (47)

0.00

−0.13, 0.14

HCV antibody DBS positive (vs negative) – n (%)

273 (81)

55 (86)

−0.05

−0.14, 0.05

Overdose, ever (vs no) – n (%)

198 (59)

32 (50)

0.09

−0.04, 0.22

MOUD, at baseline (vs no) – n (%)

139 (41)

26 (41)

0.01

−0.12, 0.14

Juvenile incarceration (vs no) – n (%)

150 (45)

25 (39)

0.05

−0.09, 0.18

Adult imprisonment episodes, mean (SD)e

4 (3.9)

4 (3.1)

0.66

−0.36, 1.68

  1. MOUD medication for opioid use disorder, HCV hepatitis C virus, DBS dry blood spot test
  2. aIncludes Newstart allowance, disability support pension, parent allowance, and carer allowance
  3. bIncludes residing in a boarding house/hostel, crisis accommodation, transitional housing, couch surfing, staying in a squat, sleeping rough
  4. cAmong those reporting to be parents/caregivers
  5. dmean differences in proportions for categorical variables
  6. emean difference for continuous variables
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BMC Medical Research Methodology

ISSN: 1471-2288

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