Housing characteristics of crack cocaine users in Northeast Brazil, 2011-2013

Abstract

We compared sociodemographic char-acteristics, substance use patterns, sexual behav-ior, use of health services, and criminal records of homeless vs. domiciled users. Data are from the Brazilian National Survey on Crack Use. A discriminant model and correspondence analysis cross-compared characteristics of users according to their housing status. The logistic model revealed associations between “living in the streets” and female gender and intermittent work. “Homeless-ness” was also associated with the use of tobacco and “oxi” in the previous 30 days, reliance on soup kitchens, low access to public mental health ser-vices, and arrests in the previous year. Correspondence analysis highlighted the spatial proximity of the variables as follows: “having traded sex for drugs”, “informal work”, “age 31 years or older”, “access to public mental health services”, “prob-lems with law enforcement”, and female gender with homeless crack users. People who smoke crack cocaine in Northeast Brazil are seldom studied. Their profiles, stratified according to their housing conditions, show subgroups with specific charac-teristics. While domiciled users have access to spe-cialized clinics, homeless users basically reported access to free food and harm reduction services.