Childhood abuse and opioid prescription use in adulthood: Differences between non-Hispanic Whites and non-Hispanic Blacks in the United States

Despite the rapid rise in opioid prescription medication usage, little research has examined the role of early life adversity, such as childhood abuse, particularly in the context of race, in opioid prescription usage in adulthood. Guided by the life course perspective, the current study investigates whether experiencing childhood abuse increases the risk of opioid prescription use in adulthood and whether this association varies by race. Data were sourced from the second wave of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study (2004-2005). The analytic sample consisted of two groups: non-Hispanic Whites (n = 714) and non-Hispanic Blacks (n = 151). Opioid prescription use was identified from the participants' medication list using the MULTUM Lexicon Drug Database Classification System. Three types of childhood abuse-emotional, physical, and sexual-were assessed via summary scales derived from the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. The results indicate a significant interaction between childhood physical abuse and race. Among non-Hispanic Whites, higher exposure to physical abuse during childhood was associated with greater odds of opioid prescription use in adulthood, even after adjusting for chronic pain, physical and mental health, and sociodemographic characteristics. However, the association between childhood physical abuse and opioid prescription use in adulthood was non-significant among non-Hispanic Black individuals. These findings underscore the long-term adverse health effects of physical abuse in childhood, particularly for non-Hispanic Whites, and suggest support for developing and implementing tailored intervention strategies.

Older adults' experiences of loneliness over the lifecourse: An exploratory study using the BBC loneliness experiment

PURPOSE

To explore older adults' experiences of loneliness across the lifecourse and the relationship with current loneliness.

METHODS

Our sample is 6,708 people aged 65 years and older, resident in the UK, who participated in the BBC Loneliness Experiment in spring 2018. Loneliness was assessed using the 3 item UCLA Loneliness Scale, using a threshold score of 6+ to define loneliness. Participants were asked if they had experienced loneliness in 5 life-stages ranging from childhood to old age and, if so, at which stage had they experienced loneliness most intensely. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratios of experiencing loneliness in relation to previous experiences of loneliness and key covariates.

FINDINGS

41% of participants reported current feelings of loneliness and were more likely than those who did not to spend time alone, have poorer self-rated health, be unmarried, have fewer financial resources, and lower levels of neighbourhood trust. 71% reported they had experienced loneliness at some previous stage in their life, with 26% experiencing it in childhood (5-15 years and 39% as a young adult (16-24 years). Having had three or more prior life stage experiences of loneliness was an independent risk factor for current loneliness.

CONCLUSION

We highlight the potential importance of examining older adults' experience of loneliness within a lifecourse perspective. We suggest a research agenda that examines the importance of the number and timing of previous loneliness experiences and investigates the strategies used to cope with loneliness across the lifecourse as a pathway to developing more effective and personalised loneliness interventions.

Promoting Postsecondary Education in Low-Income Youth: The Moderating Role of Socio-Behavioral and Academic Skills in the Context of a Major Educational Reform

Governments around the world are pressed to invest in postsecondary education. However, little research exists to document whether large-scale educational reforms aimed at increasing rates of postsecondary attendance benefit youth's developmental outcomes. This study tested whether an educational reform occurring in Québec, Canada, in the 1960s increased educational levels, and whether it benefitted some youth more than others. In the 1970's, 4109 low-income youth (50% females) aged 7-13 years old were recruited at Time 1 from first, fourth, and seventh grade classes (M_age = 10.6, SD = 2.5). Socio-behavioral characteristics and academic skills at Time 1 were examined as predictors of educational attainment at Time 2, three decades later, on 3883 of the same participants. Multinomial logistic regressions were used to examine the likelihood of youth obtaining a diploma from the newly created, accessible, and affordable colleges ("cégeps"). Low-educated groups (high school dropouts and high school graduates) presented a higher early risk profile than did college graduates. Interactions revealed that social withdrawal protected youth from disadvantaged neighborhoods, helping them graduate from college. Likeability helped academically weaker girls go beyond college and access university, and helped academically competent boys graduate from college. Aggressive behavior decreased the odds of university attendance for academically competent boys. Policies promoting higher education for disadvantaged youth should be supplemented with early interventions integrating academic and socio-behavioral objectives.

Impact of the 2008 Recession on Wealth-Adjusted Income and Inequality for US Cohorts

OBJECTIVE

To examine distributional effects of the 2008 recession and subsequent recovery across generational cohorts.

METHODS

Using data from the Survey of Consumer Finances (2007-2016), we constructed a measure of economic well-being accounting for income, household size and annuitized value of assets. We examine trajectories of adjusted income and inequality, using Gini coefficients and income shares by decile, for the overall population and by cohort during the recession and recovery.

RESULTS

Inequality declined temporarily during the recession, but reached new highs during the recovery. During recovery, population-level increases in economic resources were not reflected among below-median households, as the more concentrated financial assets rose while broader-based home equity and employment fell or remained stagnant. Inequality measures increased for cohorts in their primary working years (Generation-X and Baby Boomers), but not among the younger Millennials, who were at early stages of education, workforce entry and household formation.

DISCUSSION

The study illustrates an integrative approach to analyzing cumulative dis/advantage by considering interactions between historically consistent macro-level events, such as economic shocks or policy choices affecting all cohorts, and the persistent life-course processes that tend to increase heterogeneity and inequality as cohorts age over time. Although recovery policies led to rapid recovery of financial asset values, they did not proportionately reach those below the median or their economic resource-types. Results suggest that in a high-inequality environment, recovery policies from economic shocks may need tailoring to all levels of resources in order to achieve more equitable recovery outcomes and prevent exacerbating cohort inequality trajectories.