The Association of Demographics, Social and Personal/Family Characteristics with Treatment Utilization Among Young Adults with Opioid Use Disorder in the United States
Year: 2021
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Background Opioid use disorder is a life-threatening medical condition and an ongoing public health problem in the United States. Treatment is necessary to combat opioid use disorder and to minimize the health-associated problems. Opioid use disorder is treatable with life-extending medications. Studies that examined treatment utilization among young adults with opioid use disorder in the United States was scarce. This study investigated the characteristics posited in the Andersen Behavioral Model of health utilization which may be associated with treatment utilization, among young adults with opioid use disorder in the United States. The urgency posed by the continuing opioid crisis in the United States underscores the timeliness of this study. The research question was: What are the predisposing, enabling, and needs characteristics as posited in the Andersen Behavioral Model that are significantly associated with treatment utilization among young adults with opioid use disorder in the United States? Theoretical Framework The Andersen Behavioral Model of health utilization guided the study. The Andersen Behavioral Model posited multiple population characteristics which may be associated with treatment utilization. Methods A secondary analysis of the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health dataset was conducted. Records of young adults with a diagnosis of opioid use disorder (n = 1,021) were filtered from the secondary dataset. A dichotomous variable in the dataset, treatment utilization, served as the outcome variable. Covariates were derived from the predisposing, enabling and needs characteristics posited in the Andersen Behavioral Model, and available in the secondary dataset. A hierarchical binary logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between potential covariates and treatment utilization for opioid use disorder. Results The most concerning finding was that more than 90% of this study’s sample did not utilize treatment. Further, young adults were more likely to utilize treatment if they had an arrest history. Significant associations were observed with the predisposing characteristics race/ethnicity, employment status, and household size. Conclusion To plan effectively and comprehensively, and to formulate strategies for enhancing opioid use disorder treatment utilization among young adults in the United States, it may be necessary to fully explore the population characteristic arrest history, in addition to other significant associations reported. Existing treatment strategies should be assessed to determine their usefulness and efficiency.
Author: Marva L Frederick
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3194957384