Introduction to the Link Between Obesity and Opioid Use
According to Stokes et al. article “The contribution of obesity to prescription opioid use in the United States,” there is a connection between obesity and prescription opioid usage. In 2017, there were over 47,000 overdose fatalities in the United States, indicating an opioid crisis (Stokes et al., 2019). Obese people are more likely to have chronic pain, increasing the likelihood of taking prescription opioids. However, the relationship between obesity and prescription opioid use is poorly understood.
Study Objective and Data Sources
This study aimed to investigate the link in the US between prescription opioid usage and obesity. The research drew on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) to investigate whether obesity is associated with an increased risk of prescription opioid use in the US. Consequently, the reasons that may explain this link include chronic pain, poor health, and a lack of pain treatment options.
Key Findings on Opioid Use Among Obese Individuals
According to the study, obese people consume prescription opioids more often than non-obese people. According to the research, prescription opioid usage was higher among obese people (36%) than among non-obese people (25%) (Stokes et al., 2019). The study additionally discovered that women were more likely than males to consume prescription opioids when obese. According to scientists, the greater incidence of chronic pain in obese people may cause an association between obesity and prescription opioid usage.
Further, it was discovered that obese individuals were more likely to report poorer health, which may also contribute to their increased use of prescription opioids. In addition, it has several strengths, including the large sample size and the use of nationally representative data. However, the study is limited by its cross-sectional design, which does not allow for causal inference.
Implications for Nursing Practice
The authors provide enlightening facts in the article regarding the link between being overweight and abusing prescription opioids. The article’s implications for advanced nursing practice include the need to address the opioid problem and examine a wider variety of pain management choices. Further, the findings of this research highlight the need for medical professionals to consider a wider variety of pain treatment alternatives and be aware of the increased likelihood of prescription opioid use among obese individuals. This research is pertinent to a nursing practice since it addresses obesity-related chronic pain and prescription opioid usage. In addition, there is a need to understand better the link between obesity, chronic pain, and prescription opioid usage.
Reference
Stokes, A., Berry, K. M., Collins, J. H., Hsiao, C., Waggoner, J. R., Johnston, S. R. D., Ammann, E. M., Scamuffa, R., Lee, S., Lundberg, D. J., Solomon, D. H., Felson, D. T., Neogi, T., & Manson, J. E. (2019). The contribution of obesity to prescription opioid use in the United States. Pain, 160(10), 2255–2262. Web.