Estimated Number of Children Who Lost a Parent to Drug Overdose in the US From 2011 to 2021
Abstract
Importance
Parents' overdose death can have a profound short- and long-term impact on their children, yet little is known about the number of children who have lost a parent to drug overdose in the US.
Objective
To estimate the number and rate of children who have lost a parent to drug overdose from 2011 to 2021 overall and by parental age, sex, and race and ethnicity.
Design, Setting, and Participants
This was a cross-sectional study of US community-dwelling persons using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2010-2014 and 2015-2019) and the National Vital Statistics System (2011-2021). Data were analyzed from January to June 2023.
Exposure
Parental drug overdose death, stratified by age group, sex, and race and ethnicity.
Main Outcomes and Measures
Numbers, rates, and average annual percentage change (AAPC) in rates of children losing a parent aged 18 to 64 years to drug overdose, overall and by age, sex, and race and ethnicity.
Results
From 2011 to 2021, 649 599 adults aged 18 to 64 years died from a drug overdose (mean [SD] age, 41.7 [12.0] years; 430 050 [66.2%] male and 219 549 [33.8%] female; 62 606 [9.6%] Hispanic, 6899 [1.1%] non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native, 6133 [0.9%] non-Hispanic Asian or Pacific Islander, 82 313 [12.7%] non-Hispanic Black, 485 623 [74.8%] non-Hispanic White, and 6025 [0.9%] non-Hispanic with more than 1 race). Among these decedents, from 2011 to 2021, an estimated 321 566 (95% CI, 276 592-366 662) community-dwelling…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cross-sectional, done in people. Its evidence level is 4 of 5 (Low · observational). Observational designs can show an association but not prove cause. Reported size: 321 participants or records.
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