ABSTRACT

Objective

In Canada, young people aged 15–24 had the fastest growing rates of hospitalization for opioid poisoning in the last decade, compared to other age groups. This cross-sectional study examined non-medical prescription opioid (NMPO) use in youth and young adults in a semi-rural Canadian province.

Method

Participants completed an online survey about motives for NMPO use, and knowledge and utilization of local resources.

Results

All participants (N = 108) were self-reported opioid users between the ages of 15–25 years. The majority of participants had been prescribed an opioid by a physician in the past. Regression analysis showed that being older, having an opioid prescription, and using opioids for pain, coping, or enhancement reasons predicted higher levels of disordered opioid use. Pain was the most common motive for NMPO use and the strongest predictor of disordered opioid use. Most participants reported having limited knowledge about harm reduction resources in their communities.

Conclusions

Although the opioid crisis is a wide-spread concern, understanding why youth and young adults engage in NMPO use in local contexts may facilitate the development and implementation of resources that are more useful for these individuals, which could be scalable to other regions across Canada and internationally.

中文翻译：

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加拿大半农村省年轻人使用非医疗处方阿片类药物 (NMPO) 的动机

摘要

客观的

在加拿大，与其他年龄组相比，15-24 岁的年轻人在过去十年中因阿片类药物中毒而住院的人数增长最快。这项横断面研究调查了加拿大一个半农村省份的青年和青年人使用非医疗处方阿片类药物 (NMPO) 的情况。

方法

参与者完成了关于使用 NMPO 的动机以及当地资源的知识和利用的在线调查。

结果

所有参与者（N = 108）都是自我报告的 15-25 岁之间的阿片类药物使用者。大多数参与者过去曾被医生开过阿片类药物。回归分析表明，年龄较大、有阿片类药物处方以及出于疼痛、应对或增强原因使用阿片类药物可预测更高水平的无序阿片类药物使用。疼痛是 NMPO 使用的最常见动机，也是无序阿片类药物使用的最强预测因素。大多数参与者报告说，他们对社区中减少危害的资源了解有限。

结论

尽管阿片类药物危机是一个广泛关注的问题，但了解为什么青年和年轻人在当地环境中使用 NMPO 可能会促进对这些人更有用的资源的开发和实施，这些资源可以扩展到加拿大其他地区和国际上。