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Opioid prescription rates and risk for substantiated child abuse and neglect: A Bayesian spatiotemporal analysis

Matthew C Morris1, Miriam Marco2, Brooklynn Bailey3

  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA.

Drug and Alcohol Dependence
|November 8, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Higher opioid prescribing rates correlate with increased risk of child abuse and neglect. Addressing opioid misuse and crime may help reduce child maltreatment incidents.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Sociology

Background:

  • Opioid prescribing rates have been a growing public health concern.
  • Child abuse and neglect remain significant societal issues with complex contributing factors.
  • Understanding the interplay between substance use and child welfare is crucial for effective policy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between opioid prescribing patterns and substantiated child abuse and neglect.
  • To analyze this relationship across Tennessee counties over an 11-year period (2006-2016).
  • To control for environmental and population-level covariates in the analysis.

Main Methods:

  • Employed a Bayesian spatiotemporal approach for robust statistical analysis.
  • Utilized annual county-level data including child abuse/neglect rates, crime incidents (drug and non-drug), demographics, socioeconomic factors, and housing data.
  • Examined associations while accounting for covariates such as race, income, poverty, teen births, and vacant housing.

Main Results:

  • Higher opioid prescribing rates were significantly associated with increased risk of substantiated child abuse and neglect.
  • Risk factors for child maltreatment included vacant housing, child poverty, teen birth rates, and crime incidents (e.g., stimulant arrests).
  • A negative association was observed between the percentage of African Americans and risk for substantiated child abuse and neglect.

Conclusions:

  • Opioid prescribing rates and crime rates are independent determinants of spatial and temporal variations in child abuse and neglect risk.
  • Policies aimed at regulating and reducing opioid prescribing could potentially mitigate the risk of child abuse and neglect.
  • Findings highlight the need for integrated strategies addressing both the opioid crisis and child protective services.
Abstract

Keywords:
Child abuseChild maltreatmentChild neglectOpioid prescriptionSpatiotemporal

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