Abstract: Gender Differences in Prevalence Trends for Heroin and Opioid Painkillers, 2007-2013 (Society for Social Work and Research 21st Annual Conference - Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth)

Schedule:

Sunday, January 15, 2017: 8:00 AM

Preservation Hall Studio 3 (New Orleans Marriott)

* noted as presenting author

Keunhye Park, MSW, Doctoral Student, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Jeanne C. Marsh, PhD, Professor, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Clifford S. Bersamira, AM, Ph.D. Student, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Yuan Lin, MSW, PhD Candidate, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Background and purpose: The current prescription drug epidemic has led to national attention on the changing demographics of opioid addiction and the need to better understand gender disparities in heroin as well as opioid painkiller abuse. Evidence emerging from treatment program samples indicate that even as the availability of gender sensitive treatment programs is decreasing, the prevalence of both prescription opioid and heroin abuse is shifting from primarily males to females. This study uses population-based data to examine changes in recent years to prescription opioid and heroin use, specifically with regards to gender.

Methods: The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) was used to analyze gender differences heroin and nonmedical prescription opioid use from 2007-2013. NSDUH surveys have been collected since 1988 by SAMSHA to track trends in the drug use in the U.S. An analytic sample was developed with approximately 55,000 respondents for each year between 2007-2013. Total population rates of past-month use were analyzed for each gender group (male and female) and separately for heroin and nonmedical opioid painkiller use.

Results: Overall, prevalence estimates indicate a notable increase in heroin use, and a steady decline in nonmedical prescription opioid use between 2007 and 2013. Women are increasing heroin use at a faster rate than men while nonmedical prescription opioid use is declining faster for men than for women. Estimated odds ratios for heroin use are consistently greater for men, but women’s risk is nearly equivalent to men for nonmedical painkiller misuse.

Conclusions and implications: Trend data point to a decrease in the gender gap overall – especially for nonmedical prescription opioids. Given that women experience more pain, are more likely to receive nonmedical painkillers and have less access to treatment, findings point to the need to increase gender-sensitive research, surveillance, prevention and treatment.