Predictors of Opioid Misuse and Abuse Among Pregnant Women in the US.
Henry Ofori Duah, Diane Von Ah, Ethan Morgan
PMID 41423389WHAT IT FOUND
Pregnant women in the third trimester had lower odds of past-year opioid misuse than those in the first.
Older age, higher income, and better health status were also protective. Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander women had higher odds than non-Hispanic White women.
Key findings
01Pregnant women in the third trimester had 44% reduced odds of past-year opioid misuse compared to those in the first trimester.
02Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander pregnant women had 8.34 times greater odds of past-year opioid misuse compared to non-Hispanic White women.
03Higher household income and better self-rated health status were associated with lower odds of past-year opioid misuse.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The cross-sectional design means the study cannot prove that these factors cause opioid misuse; it only shows associations. Self-reported data on substance use is likely underestimated due to social desirability bias and fear of legal consequences. The survey excluded homeless individuals and those in institutions, which may bias the results. The small sample size for Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander women affected the precision of estimates for some outcomes. Some statistically significant odds ratios were close to 1.0, raising questions about their practical clinical significance.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the high odds ratio for Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander women as a definitive prevalence rate for all Pacific Islander patients. The sample size for this group was small, and the wide confidence interval (1.43 to 48.54) indicates significant uncertainty in the estimate.