Risk factors for inappropriate opioid use among New York City residents

As addiction treatment becomes difficult due to social distancing measures, it is important to understand the risk factors of inappropriate opioid use. Past studies have evaluated the risk factors of opioid use disorder (OUD) and overdose, but few focused on the risk factors for inappropriate opioid use that can lead to an OUD. This study aims to perform a secondary analysis on the publicly available database of the 2013–2014 NYC Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NYC HANES) to identify the risk factors for inappropriate and appropriate opioid use among participants. We used multinomial logistic regression analysis to examine which factors are associated with opioid use. We also examined effect modification by gender and education. There were 1237 participants, 57% were female and the median age was 39 (IQR 29–54) years. Younger age, male, not physically active at all in the past 30 days, former smoker, cocaine and/or heroin use in past 12 months, and diagnosis of depression/anxiety were significantly associated with inappropriate opioid use, compared to no opioid use. Further, we observed an elevation in inappropriate opioid use among females who were Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic, and that the association between no physical activity and inappropriate opioid use was stronger among those with lower education level. Overall, important risk factors associated with opioid use were found that can inform our approaches to mitigate the opioid epidemic.