Incidence and Characteristics of Nonfatal Opioid Overdose among Youths Aged 11 to 24 Years by Sex

Abstract

Importance: Opioid-related overdose has substantially increased among adolescents and young adults in recent years. How overdose differs by age and sex among youths and the factors associated with overdose by sex remain poorly described. Objective: To compare the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of female and male youths who have experienced a nonfatal opioid overdose (NFOD) and compare the incidence of NFOD by sex. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study used data on US individuals aged 11 to 24 years with a diagnosis of NFOD from the IBM MarketScan Commercial Database from January 1, 2006, through December 31, 2017. Exposure: Sex. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was NFOD stratified by sex; covariates included sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Results: Among 20312 youths aged 11 to 24 years who had a history of NFOD and met study eligibility criteria, the median age was 20 years (interquartile range, 18-22 years; mean [SD] age, 20.0 [2.9] years) and 56.7% were male. Compared with male youths, female youths had a higher baseline prevalence of mood or anxiety disorder (65.5% vs 51.9%, P