학술논문
Rising Racial Disparities in Opioid Mortality and Undertreatment of Opioid Use Disorder and Mental Health Comorbidities in Virginia
Document Type
article
Author
Jacqueline B. Britz, MD, MSPH; Kristen M. O'Loughlin, MS, MA; Tracey L. Henry, MD, MPH, MS; Alicia Richards, BS; Roy T. Sabo, PhD; Heather G. Saunders, PhD, MSW; Sebastian T. Tong, MD, MPH; E. Marshall Brooks, PhD; Jason Lowe, MSW, CPHQ; Ashley Harrell, LCSW; Christine Bethune, MSW; F. Gerard Moeller, MD; Alex H. Krist, MD, MPH
Source
AJPM Focus, Vol 2, Iss 3, Pp 100102- (2023)
Subject
Language
English
ISSN
2773-0654
Abstract
Introduction: There were more than 100,000 fatal drug overdoses in the U.S. in 2021 alone. In recent years, there has been a shift in opioid mortality from predominantly White rural communities to Black urban communities. This study aimed to identify the Virginia communities disproportionately affected by the overdose crisis and to better understand the systemic factors contributing to disparities in opioid mortality. Methods: Using the state all-payer claims database, state mortality records, and census data, we created a multivariate model to examine the community-level factors contributing to racial disparities in opioid mortality. We used generalized linear mixed models to examine the associations between socioecologic factors and fatal opioid overdoses, opioid use disorder diagnoses, opioid-related emergency department visits, and mental health diagnoses. Results: Between 2015 and 2020, racial disparities in mortality widened. In 2020, Black males were 1.5 times more likely to die of an opioid overdose than White males (47.3 vs 31.6 per 100,000; p