Association between county-level sociodemographic characteristics and county-level differences in opioid dispensing

While overall opioid prescribing has been decreasing in the United States, the rates of prescribing at the county level have been variable. Previous studies show that social determinants of health (the social and economic conditions in which we live) may play a role in opioid prescribing; however, researchers have not examined this relationship across US counties. This cross-sectional study seeks to determine whether county-level sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., economic, housing, social environment, healthcare environment, and population characteristics) are associated with county level differences in opioid dispensing.

Data from 2,881 counties in the United States from 2017 to 2018 were used for this study. Opioid dispensing was measured using morphine milligram equivalents (MME) per capita. Spatial error models were used to measure the association between county-level sociodemographic characteristics and MME per capita while adjusting for spatial correlation between neighboring counties.

In the adjusted model, counties with a higher percentage of people below the poverty line, with less than a 4-year college degree, and without health insurance were associated with higher MME dispensed per capita, as were counties with higher percentages of families headed by a single parent, persons separated or divorced, and those with disabilities. Conversely, minority race/ethnicity and rural population were associated with lower opioid dispensing.

County-level sociodemographics can differ in their association with opioid dispensing, hence examining which county-level factors help in improving opioid prescribing, and implementing overdose prevention strategies that tackle these factors is important.