Changes in Risk Behaviour Among People With Recent Injecting Drug Use in Oslo 2002-2024

  • Drug Alcohol Rev. 2026 Jan;45(1):e70060. doi: 10.1111/dar.70060.
Eirik Opheim  1  2 ,  Kristian Malme  3 ,  Olav Dalgard  2  3 ,  Hanne Sørli  1 ,  Øystein Backe  1 ,  Tarjei Foshaug  1 ,  Vibeke Dahl  1 ,  Katrine Stålberg  1 ,  Birgitte Harestad  1 ,  Ragnhild Kyte Gjøstein  1 ,  Morten T Indreiten  1 ,  Rikard Rykkvin  4 ,  Kjersti Ulstein  5 ,  Tore W Steen  6 ,  Linda Wüsthoff  7  8 ,  Håvard Midgard  2  9
Affiliations
  • 1. Agency for Social and Welfare Services, City of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
  • 2. Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
  • 3. Department of Infectious Diseases, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway.
  • 4. Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
  • 5. Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
  • 6. Agency for Health, City of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
  • 7. Unit for Clinical Research on Addictions, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
  • 8. Norwegian Centre for Addiction Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
  • 9. Department of Gastroenterology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
PMID: 41139587 DOI: 10.1111/dar.70060
Abstract

Introduction: Sharing needles, syringes and drug preparation paraphernalia among people who inject drugs poses a significant risk of transmission of blood-borne infections. To achieve and maintain the elimination of viral hepatitis by 2030, risk behaviour must be kept at a low level. The aim of this study was to assess changes in injecting risk behaviour among people who inject drugs in Oslo between 2002 and 2024.

Methods: This was an analysis of eight cross-sectional studies among people who inject drugs in Oslo conducted in 2002, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. We calculated prevalence estimates of recent (past 4 weeks) risk behaviour each year and used generalised estimating equations to identify factors associated with recent risk behaviour.

Results: A total of 1648 participants were included. The median age was 39.4 years, 71.7% were men and 54.2% reported daily injecting drug use. Recent sharing of needles/syringes decreased from 17.8% (95% CI 13.6, 22.5) in 2002 to 4.2% (95% C: 1.9, 7.8) in 2024. Recent sharing of needles/syringes was negatively associated with increasing age (every 10-year increment; aOR 0.62; 95% CI 0.50, 0.76) and was associated with daily injecting (aOR 2.07; 95% CI 1.38, 3.12) compared to less than daily and with mixed heroin and amphetamine as the drug most frequently injected (aOR 1.63; 95% CI: 1.04, 2.55) compared to heroin alone.

Discussion and conclusions: A decline in the prevalence of recent risk behaviour among people who inject drugs in Oslo was observed between 2002 and 2024. Risk behaviour remains common among younger individuals.