Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.
Consortium for Substance Use and Addiction, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.
Am J Addict. 2024 Sep;33(5):534-542. doi: 10.1111/ajad.13536. Epub 2024 Mar 23.
The current study examines regional differences in Black/White fatal drug overdoses.
Black/White overdose mortality data (2012-2021; N = 537,085) were retrieved from CDC WONDER. We used death counts and corresponding Census Bureau population estimates by the decedent's age and race/ethnicity to calculate mortality rate ratios.
From 2012 to 2021, there were 537,085 reported overdose deaths among White (85%) and Black (15%) individuals in the United States. In the South, Black individuals had lower fatal drug overdose deaths than their same-aged White counterparts. In the Northeast, Midwest, and West regions, Black individuals had around 10%-60% lower likelihood of overdoses among younger ages (15-24, 25-34, 35-44) but about 60%-300% higher likelihood of overdoses among older adults (55-64). Increases in overdose deaths during the pandemic (2020-2021) led to changes in Black/White overdose death patterns, whereas Black individuals of all ages in the Midwest and West regions had approximately 15%-425% higher likelihood of fatal overdoses than their same-aged White counterparts. Sex-stratified analysis suggests that Black females in the South had overdose death rates around 50% lower than same-aged White females, and overdose deaths were relatively equal for Black and White females in the Midwest-patterns not seen among males.
The findings indicate that the Black/White overdose mortality gap changed after the COVID-19 pandemic across all regions and age cohorts, with state and regional variations in magnitude. Behavioral interventions and policies to curb drug overdose deaths among populations most impacted should consider regional, sex, and age-related differences.
本研究旨在考察黑人和白人致命药物过量的地区差异。
从疾病预防控制中心 WONDER 中检索了黑人和白人药物过量死亡率数据（2012-2021 年；N=537085）。我们使用死亡人数和相应的人口普查局按死者年龄和种族/族裔划分的人口估计数，计算死亡率比值。
从 2012 年到 2021 年，美国有 537085 例白人（85%）和黑人（15%）报告的药物过量死亡。在南部，黑人的致命药物过量死亡人数低于同年龄段的白人。在东北部、中西部和西部，年轻人群（15-24 岁、25-34 岁、35-44 岁）中，黑人药物过量的可能性低 10%-60%，但在老年人（55-64 岁）中药物过量的可能性高 60%-300%。大流行期间（2020-2021 年）药物过量死亡人数的增加导致了黑人和白人药物过量死亡模式的变化，而中西部和西部各年龄段的黑人药物过量死亡的可能性比同年龄段的白人高 15%-425%。性别分层分析表明，南部的黑人女性药物过量死亡率比同年龄段的白人女性低约 50%，而中西部地区的黑人和白人女性的药物过量死亡率相当——这种模式在男性中没有出现。
这些发现表明，在所有地区和年龄组中，COVID-19 大流行后，黑人和白人药物过量死亡率之间的差距发生了变化，其变化幅度因州和地区而异。针对受影响最大的人群遏制药物过量死亡的行为干预和政策应考虑到地区、性别和年龄差异。
