Characteristics of Adults With Musculoskeletal Conditions According to Opioid Use Status
| Characteristic | Opioid Nonuser/ Limited Usera (n=16,046) | Opioid Usera (n=2,564) | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sociodemographics | |||
| Age, mean (SE), y | 53.4 (0.1) | 54.7 (0.1) | <.001 |
| Sex, % | .001 | ||
| Male | 38.6 | 35.3 | |
| Female | 61.4 | 64.7 | |
| Race and ethnicity, % | <.001 | ||
| Non-Hispanic white | 67.0 | 65.6 | |
| Non-Hispanic black | 20.2 | 24.7 | |
| Hispanic | 3.4 | 3.2 | |
| Other or multiple races | 9.4 | 6.6 | |
| Marital status, % | <.001 | ||
| Married | 55.5 | 46.3 | |
| Divorced, separated, widowed | 26.1 | 38.3 | |
| Never married | 18.4 | 15.4 | |
| US Census region, % | <.001 | ||
| Northeast | 17.9 | 12.5 | |
| Midwest | 21.2 | 22.4 | |
| South | 36.0 | 43.3 | |
| West | 24.9 | 21.9 | |
| Educational attainment, % | <.001 | ||
| High school graduate or less | 63.6 | 78.3 | |
| College degree | 16.7 | 8.6 | |
| Graduate degree | 10.1 | 3.8 | |
| Other degrees | 9.6 | 9.2 | |
| Health insurance, % | <.001 | ||
| Private | 64.3 | 45.1 | |
| Public | 26.4 | 46.3 | |
| Uninsured | 9.3 | 8.5 | |
| Health status | |||
| Body mass index, mean (SE), kg/m2 | 29.1 (0.1) | 31.3 (0.2) | <.001 |
| SF-12 scores, mean (SE) | |||
| PCS score | 46.0 (0.1) | 33.3 (0.2) | <.001 |
| MCS score | 49.9 (0.1) | 44.4 (0.2) | <.001 |
| “Fair” or “poor” overall health, % | 19.7 | 50.5 | <.001 |
| Higher self-reported-pain levelb | 30.5 | 75.5 | <.001 |
| Health care use | |||
| Prior opioid use,c % | 10.3 | 67.2 | <.001 |
| Has usual source of care,d % | 99.7 | 99.3 | .02 |
| Prior inpatient surgery, % | 7.8 | 22.2 | <.001 |
| Prior outpatient surgery, % | 10.0 | 21.3 | <.001 |
| Annual health care spending, median (IQR), $ | 2,380 (5,273) | 7,414 (14,240) | <.001 |
ED=emergency department; IQR=interquartile range; MCS=mental component summary; PCS = physical component summary; SE = standard error; SF-12 = 12-item Short Form Health Survey.
Note: The χ2 test was used to compare proportions, 2-sample t test to compare means, and Mann-Whitney test to compare medians.
↵a Opioid use defined longitudinally using prescriptions received in survey rounds 3 through 5: users (≥1 prescriptions in at least 2 rounds) or nonusers/limited users (0–1 prescriptions).
↵b Percent answering “Moderately,” “Quite a bit,” or “Extremely.”
↵c Prior opioid use defined as receiving 1 or more prescriptions in rounds 1 or 2.
↵d A usual source of care other than the emergency department.