Substance Use
Association Between Prescription Opioid Misuse and Polysubstance Use Among Adolescents in the U.S.: Exploring Associations with Engagement in Risky Health Behaviors Asef Raiyan Hoque* Asef Raiyan Hoque
Introduction:
Polysubstance use is the simultaneous use of multiple substances. The fourth wave of the opioid epidemic is emerging and will be driven by polysubstance use. There is growing public health concern about prescription opioid misuse and engaging in concurrent multiple substance use among high school students. Prescription opioid misuse is associated with higher engagement in risky health behaviors including driving, substance use, sexual, and suicide-related behaviors. The objective of this study was to first investigate the association between prescription opioid misuse and polysubstance use among adolescents. Additionally, the study explored the relationship between opioid misuse and adverse health behaviors among adolescents reporting polysubstance use.
Methods:
This study utilized the 2017-2021 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System nationally representative data of high school students. Pearson’s chi-square tests compared the differences between the participants. A multivariate regression model was used to compare prescription opioid misuse and polysubstance use. Additionally, logistic regression analyzed the association between opioid misuse, polysubstance use, and engagement in selected risky health behaviors.
Results:
The findings showed a significant association between prescription misuse and polysubstance use. Moreover, opioid-misusing adolescents who engaged in polysubstance use showed mixed results for engaging in other risky health behaviors. Notably, adolescents who misused prescription opioids and engaged in polysubstance use had a significantly higher likelihood of reporting suicide-related behaviors, such as feelings of hopelessness.
Discussion:
As the fourth wave of the opioid epidemic emerges, the findings from this study highlight the intertwined nature of opioid misuse. Public health policy should address concurrent multiple substance use and educate on the associated behavioral risks to prevent adverse outcomes among adolescents.