Substance Use Overdose Deaths Among Black and Indigenous Women in Wisconsin: A Review of Death Certificate Data From 2018 to 2020. J Addict Med 2024 Mar-Apr 01;18(2):153-159
Date
01/05/2024Pubmed ID
38180867Pubmed Central ID
PMC10939923DOI
10.1097/ADM.0000000000001260Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85187790921 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)Abstract
OBJECTIVES: We are in the midst of an overdose epidemic that has grown during the concurrent COVID-19 pandemic. In Wisconsin, overdose deaths increased 11-fold from 2000 to 2020, with over 1200 deaths in 2020. Because of disparities in substance use initiation, relapse, and treatment success among racially minoritized women, this study's purpose was to investigate overdose death rates among Black and Indigenous women in Wisconsin from 2018 to 2020.
METHODS: Overdose death rates were examined under the following parameters: sex, race (Black, Indigenous, White), age, year, and manner of death. Logistic regression analysis was also conducted looking at death count data, with race, age, and year as potential predictor variables.
RESULTS: Death rates (per 100,000) in 2018 were 14.1 (12.6-15.5) for White women, 20.8 (14.7-26.9) for Black women, and 26.5 (10.0-42.9) for Indigenous women; these rates increased in 2020 to 16.4 (14.8-17.9), 32.5 (25.0-40.0), and 59.9 (35.8-84.0) for White, Black, and Indigenous women, respectively. Regression findings illustrated that being Black or Indigenous and aged 15 to 44 or 45 to 64 years were significantly more likely to die from most causes of death (any drug, any opioid, prescription opioid, heroin, synthetic opioids, and cocaine; adjusted odds ratios > 1.25, P s < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that deaths in Wisconsin are disproportionately higher in female minoritized populations. Understanding the complex intricacies between the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with barriers to treatment access or acceptability in these populations is urgently needed. It will take a multipronged approach to address the overdose epidemic and better serve these marginalized, vulnerable populations.
Author List
Lopez AA, Luebke JM, Redner R, Abusbaitan H, Tarima SAuthor
Sergey S. Tarima PhD Associate Professor in the Institute for Health and Equity department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Analgesics, OpioidDeath Certificates
Drug Overdose
Female
Humans
Pandemics
Substance-Related Disorders
Wisconsin
