Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026

High-throughput and Comprehensive Drug Surveillance Using Multisegment Injection-Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry
Published on: April 23, 2019
Social determinants of drug-related mortality in a general population
Sanna Rönkä1, Karoliina Karjalainen2, Pekka Martikainen3
1Department of Social Research, PO Box 18, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland; Finnish Foundation for Alcohol Studies, PO Box 30, FI-00271 Helsinki, Finland.
Background:
We investigated the association between social determinants and a broad selection of drug-related deaths in a general population.
Methods:
We conducted a follow-up of an 11% random sample of working-age Finnish residents for 1996-2007 linked with an oversampling of deaths and population registration data on social characteristics. We defined total drug-related deaths as those from psychoactive substance use disorders and drug-induced poisonings (drug-induced deaths) as well as drug-related accidents, homicides, illnesses, and suicides.
Results:
The number of drug-related deaths was three times that of drug-induced deaths. We found the highest hazard ratios (HRs) for total drug-related mortality for long-term unemployment (4.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.3-5.6), short-term unemployment (3.9; 95% CI, 3.5-4.4), and retirement (5.8; 95% CI, 5.1-6.8). The HRs were highest for mortality related to psychoactive substance use disorders and lowest for mortality related to drug-related suicides. The differences were large for both sexes.
Conclusions:
Drug-related mortality was associated with social disadvantage; however, the strength of the association varied by drug-related cause of death. Primary and secondary prevention of drug use should particularly target disadvantaged groups.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Factors Affecting Drug Response: Overview
Drug Control Governance: Regulatory Bodies and Their Impact
Factors Affecting Drug Distribution: Miscellaneous Factors
Age plays a significant role due to differences in body composition among different age groups. Infants, for instance, have a higher proportion of total body water and lower albumin levels, a protein that binds drugs in the bloodstream. This unique composition in infants enhances the...
Drug Dosing: Obese Patients
Pharmacogenetic Phenotypes: Alterations in Pharmacokinetics, Drug Targets and Biologic Milieu
Drug Toxicity: Risk factors

