Abstract
We sought to evaluate the association between insurance type and non-medical opioid use in pregnant women in the United States. We conducted a study in women aged 12 to 49 years using the 2005–2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Though multivariable regression, we specifically analyzed the difference in non-medical opioid use during pregnancy between women covered by Medicaid versus private insurance. A total of 244,353 reproductive-aged women were included. Of those women, 8,862 (3.6%) were pregnant at the time of survey and 79 (0.03%) reported non-medical opioid use in the past month. After controlling for socioeconomic factors, we found nonmedical opioid use was greater for pregnant women on Medicaid compared to private insurance in the second trimester (adjusted odds ratio, 6.5; p = .015), despite no significant difference in the first trimester (0.84; p = .656). This difference may suggest a discrepancy in access to care.
Highlights
Opioid misuse in the US has increased markedly during the previous three decades [1, 2]
52.13% (4,437) were covered by private insurance, 34.66% (2,948) were covered by Medicaid and/or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), 3.73% (318) had Veterans Affairs (VA)/CHAMPUS coverage, 0.86% (42) had Medicare, and 21.81% (224) of women had another form of insurance coverage
The present study demonstrated that pregnant women who have public insurance are significantly more likely to selfreport using opioids than those on private insurance, and that this difference varies across the trimesters
Summary
Opioid misuse in the US has increased markedly during the previous three decades [1, 2]. High rates of misuse extend to pregnant women, with maternal opioid use increasing over 480% between 2000 and 2009 [3]. Opioid misuse has major health implications for the mother and neonate, including increased frequency of preterm birth, low birth weight, neonatal admission to the intensive care unit, neonatal abstinence syndrome, and maternal mortality. Given these consequences, addressing opioid use disorder, in the general population but in pregnant women, is critical to minimize the harmful cascading impacts of the opioid epidemic [5, 6, 7]. Pregnancy-related opioid use is more frequent in mothers who are aged ≥21 years, white, non-Hispanic, primigravid, nonurban, disabled, have low socioeconomic status, and have not graduated from high school, regardless of pregnancy trimester [8, 9]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
