TY - JOUR
T1 - Use of cannabis and opioids for chronic pain by older adults
T2 - Distinguishing clinical and contextual influences
AU - Bobitt, Julie
AU - Kang, Hyojung
AU - Croker, James Alton
AU - Quintero Silva, Laura
AU - Kaskie, Brian
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was funded by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Retirement Research Foundation, Chicago, IL. The authors would like to recognise Sara Qualls, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and Kanika Arora, Emma Cole and Gary Milavetz at the University of Iowa for their contributions to this research.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs
PY - 2020/9
Y1 - 2020/9
N2 - Introduction and Aims: Chronic pain is one of the most common health-related conditions experienced by Americans over the age of 65. In this study, we examine the intersection between pain, opioids and cannabis use among older adults in Colorado and Illinois and examine how medical needs and other variables associated with a persons' background and attitudes influence choices concerning the use of opioids and cannabis to treat pain. Design and Methods: Data were collected via a survey about cannabis and opioids use, and questions related to individual need factors (e.g. pain, quality of life) and contextual factors (e.g. sex, finances, personal attitudes, interaction with physicians) were included in this study. We built a logistic regression model to evaluate factors associated with drug use and a multinomial regression model to understand factors that influence drug choices between cannabis and opioids. Results: A total of 436 individuals completed the survey; 62 used opioids only, 71 cannabis only and 72 used both. When comparing drug users to non-drug users, pain was significantly associated with using cannabis and/or opioids when controlling for other covariates. However, when we compared cannabis users to opioid users, pain was no longer a determining factor. Instead, other contextual factors such as sex, personal beliefs and physician attitudes influenced an individual's choice between cannabis or opioids. Discussion and Conclusions: This study showed that contextual factors appear to have more influence on an individual's decision to use cannabis as an alternative to opioids than individual need or characteristics.
AB - Introduction and Aims: Chronic pain is one of the most common health-related conditions experienced by Americans over the age of 65. In this study, we examine the intersection between pain, opioids and cannabis use among older adults in Colorado and Illinois and examine how medical needs and other variables associated with a persons' background and attitudes influence choices concerning the use of opioids and cannabis to treat pain. Design and Methods: Data were collected via a survey about cannabis and opioids use, and questions related to individual need factors (e.g. pain, quality of life) and contextual factors (e.g. sex, finances, personal attitudes, interaction with physicians) were included in this study. We built a logistic regression model to evaluate factors associated with drug use and a multinomial regression model to understand factors that influence drug choices between cannabis and opioids. Results: A total of 436 individuals completed the survey; 62 used opioids only, 71 cannabis only and 72 used both. When comparing drug users to non-drug users, pain was significantly associated with using cannabis and/or opioids when controlling for other covariates. However, when we compared cannabis users to opioid users, pain was no longer a determining factor. Instead, other contextual factors such as sex, personal beliefs and physician attitudes influenced an individual's choice between cannabis or opioids. Discussion and Conclusions: This study showed that contextual factors appear to have more influence on an individual's decision to use cannabis as an alternative to opioids than individual need or characteristics.
KW - aging
KW - cannabis
KW - chronic pain
KW - opioid
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U2 - 10.1111/dar.13080
DO - 10.1111/dar.13080
M3 - Article
C2 - 32469109
AN - SCOPUS:85085609109
SN - 0959-5236
VL - 39
SP - 753
EP - 762
JO - Drug and Alcohol Review
JF - Drug and Alcohol Review
IS - 6
ER -