Racial-ethnic Differences in Reasons for Misuse of Prescription Medications Among US Adults

Abstract

ObjectivesThis study aims to investigate racial-ethnic differences in reasons for misuse of prescription medications among a nationally representative sample of US adults.MethodsWe analyzed data from the 2015–2019 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health. The study population includes US adults (18–49 years old) who reported misuse of 3 types of prescription drugs (stimulants [n = 6139], sedatives and tranquilizers [n = 5643], and pain relievers [n = 8780]) for 3 reasons: medical-only (eg, to help with pain), recreational-only (eg, to get high), or combined medical and recreational reasons. Multinomial logistic regressions assessed the association between reasons of misuse of prescription medications and self-identified race-ethnicity.ResultsMisuse of the 4 types of prescription medications was primarily motivated by medical reasons (63%–80%). Compared to non-Hispanic Whites, non-Hispanic Blacks (nHB), and Hispanics (H) were less likely to report misuse of pain relievers for combined (nHB: adjusted relative risk ratio [aRRR] = 0.6, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.4, 0.7; H; aRRR = 0.7, 95% CI: 0.5, 0.9) or recreational reasons (nHB: aRRR = 0.8, 95% CI: 0.6, 1.0; H; aRRR = 0.7, 95% CI: 0.6, 0.9) rather than medical-only reasons. The odds of misuse of sedatives and tranquilizers for recreational-only reasons as opposed to medical-only reasons were higher among nHB (aRRR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.3, 2.7) and H (aRRR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.4, 2.4) than among non-Hispanic Whites.ConclusionsThe increased misuse of prescription pain relievers for medical reasons among racial-ethnic minority groups demonstrates a continued need to investigate underlying structural factors driving these behaviors. The higher odds of sedative and tranquilizer misuse for recreational purposes among racial-ethnic minority groups warrant further investigation.

Motivations for Misusing Opioids Among African Americans

“…This finding is consistent with a recent national study that found AAs were less likely than Whites to misuse opioids for purposes of recreation. 37…”

“…This finding is consistent with a recent national study that found AAs were less likely than Whites to misuse opioids for purposes of recreation. 37 There were 3 motivations that had especially high endorsement rates. We discuss the implications of these motivations in more detail here as they likely play a prominent role in shaping OM behaviors among AAs.…”

“…35,36 In one of the only studies to compare OM motivations by race, AAs were found to be less likely than Whites to misuse for recreational reasons. 37…”

“…35,36 In one of the only studies to compare OM motivations by race, AAs were found to be less likely than Whites to misuse for recreational reasons. 37 And because social determinants associated with OM are disproportionately experienced by AAs (eg, low educational attainment, discrimination, limited healthcare access), [38][39][40] a specific focus on this population is warranted. The World Health Organization defines social determinants of health as the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life.…”