Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 21, 2025

Author Spotlight: An Efficient Methodology to Confidently Differentiate and Characterize Fentanyl Analogs
Published on: November 8, 2024
Disparities in Opioid Overdose Death Trends by Race/Ethnicity, 2018-2019, From the HEALing Communities Study
Marc R Larochelle1, Svetla Slavova1, Elisabeth D Root1
1Marc R. Larochelle and Jeffrey H. Samet are with the Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA. Svetla Slavova is with the Department of Biostatistics, University of Kentucky, Lexington. Patrick J. Ward is with the Department of Epidemiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington. Elisabeth D. Root is with the Department of Geography, Ohio State University, Columbus. Daniel J. Feaster is with the Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL. Sabrina C. Selk is with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA. Charles Knott is with RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC. Jennifer Villani is with the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
Abstract:
Objectives. To examine trends in opioid overdose deaths by race/ethnicity from 2018 to 2019 across 67 HEALing Communities Study (HCS) communities in Kentucky, New York, Massachusetts, and Ohio. Methods. We used state death certificate records to calculate opioid overdose death rates per 100 000 adult residents of the 67 HCS communities for 2018 and 2019. We used Poisson regression to calculate the ratio of 2019 to 2018 rates. We compared changes by race/ethnicity by calculating a ratio of rate ratios (RRR) for each racial/ethnic group compared with non-Hispanic White individuals. Results. Opioid overdose death rates were 38.3 and 39.5 per 100 000 for 2018 and 2019, respectively, without a significant change from 2018 to 2019 (rate ratio = 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.98, 1.08). We estimated a 40% increase in opioid overdose death rate for non-Hispanic Black individuals (RRR = 1.40; 95% CI = 1.22, 1.62) relative to non-Hispanic White individuals but no change among other race/ethnicities. Conclusions. Overall opioid overdose death rates have leveled off but have increased among non-Hispanic Black individuals. Public Health Implications. An antiracist public health approach is needed to address the crisis of opioid-related harms. (Am J Public Health. 2021;111(10):1851-1854. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306431).
More Related Videos
06:55Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting Propensity Score using the Military Health System Data Repository and National Death Index
Published on: January 8, 2020
16:02Demonstration of the Sequence Alignment to Predict Across Species Susceptibility Tool for Rapid Assessment of Protein Conservation
Published on: February 10, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Opioid Analgesics: Morphine and Other Natural Cogeners
Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids
Opioid Receptors: Overview
Prescription, Nonprescription and Orphan Drugs
The misuse and addiction to prescription drugs is a growing problem that can affect people of all age groups, specifically teenagers. This can happen when prescription medications are used in ways not intended by the prescriber, such as taking someone else's prescription or using medication for...
Bias in Epidemiological Studies
Healthcare Agencies II
Parish nursing is a growing specialty nursing profession that focuses on holistic healthcare, health promotion, and illness prevention. It blends professional nursing practice with a health ministry, focusing on health and healing within the context of a Christian community. Parish nurses serve as health educators, referral sources,...