Participation Type
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
Drug Overdose Fatalities: Appalachian vs. Non-Appalachian Kentucky
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
The United States, and the Appalachian region, are currently a substance use disorder (SUD) epidemic. Overdose deaths have become all too common. A wave of prescription opioid use and misuse in Appalachia first came to national attention in the early 2000s, before the issue was recognized in other regions, and many people still associate Appalachia with high rates of SUD.
Our study uses Kentucky vital statistics data to compare the rates of drug overdose fatalities between Appalachian and non-Appalachian Kentucky during a six-year period (2011-2016). In addition to fatality rates, we examined the most common drugs involved in overdose fatalities in each region through text analysis and compared certain demographic data for overdose victims.
Our results indicate that there are differences between the drugs most commonly associated with overdose fatalities in Appalachian Kentucky, as compared to non-Appalachian Kentucky. We also found that while overdose fatality rates in Appalachian Kentucky were three times higher than in non-Appalachian Kentucky in 2011, the overdose fatality rate had declined by one third in Appalachian Kentucky by 2016, while doubling in non-Appalachian Kentucky during the safe period. The trends in drug overdose fatalities in Appalachian versus non-Appalachian Kentucky are significantly different, with current data suggesting that overdose fatality rates may have become lower in Appalachian Kentucky than in non-Appalachian Kentucky by 2017.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Dr. Bush is an epidemiologist at the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center. She holds a Master of Public Health in Environmental Health Sciences and Health Services Management, as well as a Doctor of Public Health in Epidemiology and Health Management and Policy from the University of Kentucky.
Robert McCool is a program manager at the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center. He holds a Master of Science in Criminology from Eastern Kentucky University.
Conference Subthemes
Health
Drug Overdose Fatalities: Appalachian vs. Non-Appalachian Kentucky
The United States, and the Appalachian region, are currently a substance use disorder (SUD) epidemic. Overdose deaths have become all too common. A wave of prescription opioid use and misuse in Appalachia first came to national attention in the early 2000s, before the issue was recognized in other regions, and many people still associate Appalachia with high rates of SUD.
Our study uses Kentucky vital statistics data to compare the rates of drug overdose fatalities between Appalachian and non-Appalachian Kentucky during a six-year period (2011-2016). In addition to fatality rates, we examined the most common drugs involved in overdose fatalities in each region through text analysis and compared certain demographic data for overdose victims.
Our results indicate that there are differences between the drugs most commonly associated with overdose fatalities in Appalachian Kentucky, as compared to non-Appalachian Kentucky. We also found that while overdose fatality rates in Appalachian Kentucky were three times higher than in non-Appalachian Kentucky in 2011, the overdose fatality rate had declined by one third in Appalachian Kentucky by 2016, while doubling in non-Appalachian Kentucky during the safe period. The trends in drug overdose fatalities in Appalachian versus non-Appalachian Kentucky are significantly different, with current data suggesting that overdose fatality rates may have become lower in Appalachian Kentucky than in non-Appalachian Kentucky by 2017.
