The preponderance of opioid overdoses among middle-aged individuals in the US: Analysis of 911 dispatch data — Q1 2018 to Q3 2023

Background

Opioid overdoses have increased at a concerning rate in recent years. Middle-aged individuals have been reported as an age group of high concern for opioid overdoses. The purpose of this study was to assess trends in opioid overdose 911 dispatches between Q1 2018 and Q3 2023 among different age groups. It was hypothesized that the steepest increase in dispatches would be among middle-aged individuals.

Methods

We assessed age-related trends in opioid-related 911 dispatches using emergency medical service (EMS) data collected by biosptial, io. Data encompassed all 50 states and were broken into yearly quarters between Q1 2018 and Q3 2023. Age groups included younger- (10 to 29), middle- (30 to 49), and older-aged (50 to 69) individuals. Joinpoint regression was utilized to examine these trends.

Results

There were a total of 1,420,298 opioid-related 911 dispatches reported. Most were reported among middle-aged individuals, accounting for 48.9 % (n = 682,132) of all dispatches. Significant increases in dispatches were identified overall between Q1 2018 and Q2 2021 (β = 0.096, SE = 0.006, P ≤ 0.001). The steepest increase was identified among middle-aged individuals between Q1 2018 and Q2 2021 (β = 0.104, SE = 0.007, P ≤ 0.001). There was a significant decrease in dispatches among younger-aged individuals between Q2 2021 and Q3 2023 (β = −0.024, SE = 0.011, P = .036).

Conclusion

Middle-aged individuals experienced significant increases in opioid-related 911 dispatches between Q1 2018 and Q2 2021, and had the steepest increase compared to the other age groups. Conversely, younger-aged individuals have experienced a recent decrease in dispatches. These findings support previous indications that middle-aged individuals are at significant risk for opioid overdose. Additional research is necessary to identify geographic and demographic factors that may affect these trends.