Sources of prescription opioids and tranquilizers for misuse among U.S. young adults: differences between high school dropouts and graduates and associations with adverse outcomes.

Background and

Objectives

Prior research has identified that sources of prescription drugs for misuse vary based on educational attainment, which is important as certain sources are associated with adverse outcomes. The current research addressed limitations of the extant literature by creating distinct categories of push factors for high school dropout (e.g., negative school performance/experiences), pull factors for high school dropout (e.g., starting a family or getting a job), and high school graduates who did not attend college.

Methods

Using data from the 2009-2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, prevalence of sources were estimated and design-based multivariable logistic regression investigated the association between sources and educational attainment. Additionally, multivariable logistic regression assessed the associations between sources and adverse outcomes (i.e., substance use, substance use disorders, and mental health) separately for each educational category.

Results

College respondents were more likely to report "physician" and free from "friend/relative" and less likely to report "purchased" as sources. For most educational categories, "purchasing" prescription drugs was associated with adverse outcomes. Additionally, "theft/fake" prescription emerged as a source associated with adverse outcomes for college respondents, while "friend/relative" was associated with adverse outcomes for high school graduates that did not go on to college.

Conclusions

This research has important clinical implications as it identified young adults with a college education as being less likely to obtain prescription drugs from sources known to be associated with adverse outcomes. It also highlighted how associations between sources and adverse outcomes vary based on educational attainment.