Protective Environmental Factors and Opioid Use Among Sexual Minority Youth

Bibliographic Data

ID15329702
AuthorsShawn A Thomas (School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, United States, corresponding author), Kristen Clements‐nolle (0000-0003-1983-0795, University of Nevada, Reno), Kristen D Clements-Nolle (School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, United States), K D Wagner (0000-0002-8614-2004, School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, United States), Stanley T Omaye (University of Nevada, Reno), Stanley Omaye (College of Agriculture, Biotechnology, & Natural Resources, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, United States), Minggen Lu (0000-0002-7487-3627, School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, United States), Wei Yang (0000-0001-7249-4386, School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, United States)
Year2023
Volume47
Issue3
Pages618-627
Publication date2023-06-30
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Health Behavior (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1087-3244 • E-ISSN: 1945-7359
PublisherPNG Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.5993/ajhb.47.3.19
PMID37596742
OpenAlexW4385997427
LanguageEN
References cited28

Objectives: Nonmedical use of prescription opioids (NMUPO) is a pressing public health concern and affects sexual minority youth (SMY) at greater rates than heterosexual youth. We investigated whether protective environmental factors-(1) Human Rights Campaign's state equality index (SEI) and (2) supportive school environments for LGBTQ youth, influenced NMUPO among SMY and non-SMY students. Methods: We combined data from the 2017-2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2016-2018 School Health Profiles, state-level socio-demographic and SEI data across 24 states (N=156,149). Generalized linear mixed models examined associations between (1) SEI and (2) supportive school environments for LGBTQ youth, with NMUPO, accounting for clustering at the school-and state-level. Results: Before adjustment, we found that youth in states with higher SEI were significantly less likely to engage in NMUPO compared to students in states with lower SEI, a relationship that became non-significant after adjustment. After adjusting for individual-and state-level indicators, SMY in states with supportive school environments for LGBTQ youth were less likely to engage in NMUPO. Conclusions: Supportive school environments for LGBTQ youth may play an important role in the health of SMY. Establishing more inclusive policies and supportive environments within schools may reduce NMUPO among SMY

Environmental health · Injury prevention · Poison control · Sexual minority · Sexual orientation · Youth Risk Behavior Survey · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · Homelessness and Social Issues · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology · Gerontology

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