Painfully obvious: a longitudinal examination of medical use and misuse of opioid medication among adolescent sports participants.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this longitudinal study was to assess the prevalence of medical use, medical misuse, and non-medical use of opioid medication among adolescents who participate in organized sports.


METHODS
Data for this study were taken from the Secondary Student Life Survey. A total of 1,540 adolescents participated in three waves of data collection occurring between the 2009-2010 and 2011-2012 school years, with 82% of the baseline sample completing all three waves.


RESULTS
Using generalized estimating equation models to analyze the longitudinal data, it was found that male adolescents who participated in organized sports during each wave of the Secondary Student Life Survey had higher odds of being prescribed an opioid medication (i.e., medical use) during the past year (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23-2.82), higher odds of past-year medical misuse of opioid medication as a result of taking too much (AOR, 10.5; 95% CI, 2.42-45.5), and higher odds of past-year medical misuse of opioid medication to get high (AOR, 4.01; 95% CI, 1.13-14.2) compared with males who did not participate in organized sports during the study period. Among females, no association was found between participation in organized sports and medical use, medical misuse, and non-medical use of opioid medication.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study indicate that adolescent males who participate in sports may have greater access to opioid medication, which puts them at greater risk to misuse these controlled substances.
Institute for Research on Women and Gender, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Electronic address: ptveliz@umich.edu.
Philip
P
Veliz
Institute for Research on Women and Gender, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Quyen M
QM
Epstein-Ngo
Institute for Research on Women and Gender, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Elizabeth
E
Meier
Institute for Research on Women and Gender, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Paula Lynn
PL
Ross-Durow
Institute for Research on Women and Gender, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Sean Esteban
SE
McCabe
School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Carol J
CJ
Boyd
D000293:Adolescent; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D056352:Athletes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D059408:Pain Management; D063487:Prescription Drug Misuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D013177:Sports
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid
Adolescents; Opioid misuse; Opioid use; Prescription medications; Sports participation