Opioid and Benzodiazepine Use Before Injury Among Workers in Washington State, 2012 to 2015

Nkyekyer, Esi; Fulton‐Kehoe, Deborah; Spector, June T.; Franklin, Gary M.

doi:10.1097/jom.0000000000001346

Cited by 15 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Such psychological factors therefore represent shared predictive factors for both opioid use and disability among patients with low back pain . Pre‐injury use of opioids has also been associated with an increased risk of a workers’ compensation claim . In our study, we do not have data to determine whether opioids were initiated before or after the date of injury.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Increased overall and cause‐specific mortality associated with disability among workers’ compensation claimants with low back injuries

Martín

Jin

Bertke

et al. 2019

American J Industrial Med

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Increased overall and cause‐specific mortality associated with disability among workers’ compensation claimants with low back injuries

Martín

Jin

Bertke

et al. 2019

American J Industrial Med

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“…These can be powerful predictors of mortality, but others were notably missing, including preinjury smoking, alcohol and drug consumption, body mass index, and underlying diseases. Researchers have reported that both individual health and behavioral as well as work‐related factors may influence the risk of occupational injury . In order for these unmeasured factors to act as confounders and explain away the observed associations, they would need to precede the initial injury.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Suicide and drug‐related mortality following occupational injury

Applebaum

Asfaw

O'Leary

et al. 2019

American J Industrial Med

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Background Drug overdoses and suicides have been rising since 2000 and are major contributors to a 3‐year decline in US life expectancy. Studies suggest that injured workers have elevated rates of depression and opioid use, but no studies have measured excess mortality related to these risks. Materials and methods We linked New Mexico workers' compensation data for 100 806 workers injured in 1994 through 2000 with Social Security Administration earnings and mortality data through 2013 and National Death Index cause of death data. We then estimated the association between receiving lost‐time workers' compensation benefits and mortality hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) based on Fine and Gray cause‐specific subdistribution hazards for common causes of death and for drug‐related, suicide, and alcohol‐related mortality. Results There was almost a 3‐fold increase in combined drug‐related and suicide mortality hazard among women (HR = 2.63, 95% CI = 1.91‐3.64) and a substantial increase among men (HR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.13‐1.79). Circulatory disease mortality hazard was elevated for men (HR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.05‐1.50). Conclusion Workplace injuries severe enough to require more than a week off work may impair workers' long‐term health and well‐being. Drug‐related deaths and suicides may be important contributors to the long‐term excess mortality of injured workers. Improved workplace conditions, improved pain treatment, better treatment of substance use disorders, and treatment of postinjury depression may substantially reduce mortality consequent to workplace injuries.

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“…Van Hasselt et al 28 showed that after adjustment for covariates, workers who reported prescription drug misuse within the past month had a 7.4% increase in probability of being absent from work one or more days during the previous month. Using workers' compensation claims in Washington State from 2012 to 2015, Nkyekyer et al 29 showed that pre-injury opioid and benzodiazepine use may increase the risk of disability after work-related injury. Thumula et al 30 and O'Hara et al 31 conducted studies similar to ours, but their scope was limited to workers who used the workers' compensation system and did not have information on sociodemographic factors that may be associated with opioid use in workers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence and Expenses of Outpatient Opioid Prescriptions, With Associated Sociodemographic, Economic, and Work Characteristics

2019

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Information on opioids obtained by workers is important for both health and safety. We examined the prevalence and total expenses of obtaining outpatient opioid prescriptions, along with associated sociodemographic, economic, and work characteristics, in national samples of U.S. workers. We used Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data (2007–2016) along with descriptive and multiple logistic regression. During the study period, an estimated 21 million workers (12.6%) aged 16 years or older obtained one or more outpatient opioid prescriptions, at an expense of $2.81 billion per year. Private health insurance covered half of the total opioid expenses for workers. The prevalence of obtaining opioid prescriptions was higher for women than for men, but men had higher opioid expenses. In addition, the prevalence of obtaining opioid prescriptions was higher for workers who were older; non-Hispanic white; divorced, separated, or widowed; and non-college-educated. There is an inverse relationship between family income and the likelihood of obtaining opioids. Compared to workers with private insurance, workers with public health insurance had higher expenses for opioid prescriptions. Finally, workers in occupations at higher risk for injury and illness – including construction and extraction; farming; service; and production, transportation, and material moving occupations – were more likely to obtain opioid prescriptions.

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Opioid and Benzodiazepine Use Before Injury Among Workers in Washington State, 2012 to 2015

Abstract: Pre-injury opioid and benzodiazepine use may increase the risk of disability after work-related injury.

Cited by 15 publications

References 33 publications

Increased overall and cause‐specific mortality associated with disability among workers’ compensation claimants with low back injuries

Increased overall and cause‐specific mortality associated with disability among workers’ compensation claimants with low back injuries

Suicide and drug‐related mortality following occupational injury

Prevalence and Expenses of Outpatient Opioid Prescriptions, With Associated Sociodemographic, Economic, and Work Characteristics

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