Nutritional concerns of addicts in treatment

Some of the subcultural phenomena affecting diet patterns of methadone patients have been utilized to derive principles of treatment intervention. Attitudes and values related to time, treatment personnel, and group identification are important cultural determinants of beliefs and behaviors affecting nutrition. The proposed program of intervention is based on ethnographic observations. This suggested program emphasized the inclusion of cultural identity, sense of uniqueness and group information sharing and reinforcement. These characteristics are valued highly in the informants' subcultural group, and are important components of acceptable proprosals for change within this group.