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Opioid Prescription Rates And Child Removals: Evidence From Florida

Troy Quast1, Eric A Storch2, Svetlana Yampolskaya3

  • 1Troy Quast ( troyquast@health.usf.edu ) is an associate professor of health policy and management at the University of South Florida College of Public Health, in Tampa.

Health Affairs (Project Hope)
|January 9, 2018
PubMed

Insights

The opioid epidemic impacts parental care. Higher opioid prescription rates correlate with increased child removals due to neglect, particularly in counties with larger white populations.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Sociology
  • Child Welfare Studies

Background:

  • The opioid epidemic presents significant challenges to family stability and child welfare.
  • Parental opioid dependence can impair caregiving abilities, leading to child neglect.
  • Understanding the link between opioid use and child removal is crucial for effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between opioid prescription rates and child removal rates in Florida counties.
  • To control for other substance use (benzodiazepines, stimulants) and risk factors in the analysis.
  • To examine disparities in this association based on racial demographics.

Main Methods:

  • Panel data analysis of Florida county-level data from 2012-2015.
  • Statistical modeling of opioid prescription rates and child removal rates for neglect.
  • Subgroup analysis based on the percentage of white residents in counties.

Main Results:

  • A one-standard-deviation increase in opioid prescriptions was linked to a 32% rise in child neglect removals.
  • The association was approximately twice as strong in counties with the highest percentage of white residents.
  • Benzodiazepine and stimulant prescription rates did not show a significant association with child removal rates.

Conclusions:

  • Opioid prescription rates are a significant factor associated with child removals for neglect.
  • Racial disparities exist in the impact of opioid prescriptions on child welfare.
  • Public health policies must address the opioid crisis's impact on child protection services.

Keywords:
Children’s HealthPharmaceuticals

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