Determinants of weight gain in people who use drugs undergoing rehabilitation or opioid substitution therapy in Lebanon: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: according to the global report on drug use, the prevalence of people who use drugs (PWUD) and hence require treatment are estimated to be more than a quarter of a billion worldwide. Malnutrition is highly prevalent among PWUD and hyperphagia is also present in the early phases of treatment. Objective: this study aimed to assess the association between weight gain amongst PWUD currently undergoing treatment for recovery whether in the rehabilitation centers or the opioid substitution therapy (OST) program centers in Lebanon. Methods: this was a cross-sectional study, where demographics and treatment-related characteristics, nutritional assessment, and biochemical data of the participants were collected. The factors possibly related to weight gain were examined: sleep quality, physical activity level, nutrition knowledge, food addiction, and self-reported weight change. The statistical package for social sciences (SPSS version 24.0) was used for data entry, management, and analyses. Finally, Chi-square tests, and t-tests were used to draw the associations between the mentioned factors and weight gain among the participants. Results: 187 recovering patients from rehabilitation centers (n=90 from four centers) and OST program centers (n=97 from three centers) participated in the study.