Alcohol, tobacco and drug use among adults experiencing homelessness in Accra, Ghana: A cross-sectional study of risk levels and associated factors

Abstract

Background Substance use contributes to poor health and increases the risk of mortality in the homeless population. This study assessed the prevalence and risk levels of substance use and associated factors among adults experiencing homelessness in Accra, Ghana. Methods 305 adults currently experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness in Accra aged > 18 years were recruited. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) was used to assess substance use risk levels. Association of high-risk substance use with sociodemographic, migration, homelessness, and health characteristics were assessed using logistic regression. Results Nearly three-quarters (71%, n = 216) of the sample had ever used a substance, almost all of whom engaged in ASSIST-defined moderate-risk (55%) or high-risk (40%) use. Survivors of physical or emotional violence (AOR = 3.54; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.89–6.65, p