Occupational Factors Are Associated with Opioid Use Among Construction Workers

Details

• Personal Author:
  Colvin R ; Dale, Ann M. ; Evanoff BA ; Gage BF ; Hayibor L ; Strickland JR
• Description:
  objective: Construction workers experience high rates of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) and seek care for MSDs. They also have high rates of opioid use, opioid use disorder (OUD), and the highest overdose fatality rate of any occupational group. We examined rates of pain, medical treatment, and opioid prescriptions among young union carpenters and quantified the incidence of opioid use, chronic use, and OUD from healthcare claims. methods: We surveyed 929 construction apprentices about work factors, health behaviors, and health outcomes. We analyzed 3.5 years of health and pharmacy claims from 19,909 workers in their union health plan to determine the risk of developing chronic opioid use and OUD. results: Apprentices were young (mean 27.8 years) and new to construction (mean 2.6 years). In the past year, 63% reported musculoskeletal pain, 22% sought medical treatment for musculoskeletal pain, and 12% received an opioid prescription. In multivariable Poisson regression models, high job strain (PR 1.7 [95%CI 1.1-2.8]) and low supervisor support (PR 1.6 [95%CI 1.1-2.5]) were associated with prescribed pain medication (adjusted for work and personal factors). Claims data from all workers showed 43% were treated annually for chronic musculoskeletal conditions; 24% of these received a new opioid prescription and 6.5% a chronic prescription. Workers with chronic MSDs had the highest odds of future OUD (OR: 4.71 [95%CI 3.09-7.37]). Three percent of workers per year had new chronic opioid use (60 or more days prescribed in a calendar quarter), and those with chronic use had nearly a 10-fold increased odds of developing OUD. conclusion: Many construction workers experience musculoskeletal pain, seek medical treatment, and are prescribed opioids. Opioids prescribed for musculoskeletal pain were strongly associated with new chronic opioid use and OUD. Working conditions for workers in manual trades like construction may contribute to the opioid epidemic. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Construction Industry Delivery Of Health Care Musculoskeletal Diseases Narcotics Occupational Health Safety Substance-Related Disorders
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Occupational Health And Safety; Prescription Drug Abuse And Misuse Construction Workers; Substance Abuse; Prescription Drugs; Musculoskeletal Disorders; MSD; Narcotics; TWH; Total Worker Health; Medical Care;
• Publisher:
  American Public Health Association
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  Iowa ; Missouri ; OSHA Region 7
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20065891
• Citation:
  Creating the Healthiest Nation: Preventing Violence. APHA 148th Annual Meeting and Exposition, October 24-28, 2020, virtual event. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association, 2020 Oct; :476469
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2021
• Performing Organization:
  University of Iowa
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20060901
• Source Full Name:
  Creating the Healthiest Nation: Preventing Violence. APHA 148th Annual Meeting and Exposition, October 24-28, 2020, virtual event
• End Date:
  20260831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e1fe3826d8b1f2c21b71545d8ba45280dac2f87b052b8c14a903164e3a08eb303d0418aa94a2145d3e2e7dc26ad2b10ef64f8fc720a609918b30e853e409b62c
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/248943/cdc_248943_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 84.85 KB ]