Association of Everyday Discrimination With Drug Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the All of Us Research Program
View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Discrimination significantly increased the odds of drug use during the COVID-19 pandemic. This association was stronger in younger individuals, females, smokers, and those facing unemployment or illness.
Area Of Science
- Public Health
- Social Epidemiology
- Substance Use Research
Background
- Discrimination is recognized as a significant public health risk, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The pandemic period saw increased drug use alongside heightened awareness of structural disparities in the United States.
- Understanding the link between discrimination and drug use is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose Of The Study
- To investigate the association between everyday discrimination and the odds of drug use.
- To analyze this association in a large, diverse cohort from the All of Us Research Program.
- To identify subgroups disproportionately affected by discrimination-related drug use.
Main Methods
- Cross-sectional study utilizing data from 68,976 participants in the All of Us Research Program.
- The COVID-19 Participant Experiences (COPE) survey data was analyzed.
- Logistic regression models with propensity score-based overlap weighting were applied to assess the association between self-reported everyday discrimination and drug use.
Main Results
- A total of 67,662 COPE respondents were included in the analysis.
- Participants reporting discrimination had 1.38 times higher odds of drug use (95% CI, 1.32-1.43).
- A dose-dependent association was observed, with increased odds linked to higher discrimination scores, particularly in younger individuals, females, smokers, and those unemployed or with COVID-19/flu-like symptoms.
Conclusions
- Discrimination is significantly associated with increased odds of drug use across various drug types and reasons for discrimination.
- The association is particularly pronounced in specific subgroups, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.
- While findings suggest a strong link, further longitudinal studies are warranted to establish causality.