Alcohol-Related Deaths of US Health Care Workers.

This cohort study investigates the risk of alcohol-related death among US health care workers compared with non­health care workers.

Suicide Risks of Health Care Workers in the US.

Importance: Historically elevated risks of suicide among physicians may have declined in recent decades. Yet there remains a paucity of information concerning suicide risks among other health care workers. Objective: To estimate risks of death by suicide among US health care workers. Design, Setting, and Participants: Cohort study of a nationally representative sample of workers from the 2008 American Community Survey (N = 1 842 000) linked to National Death Index records through December 31, 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures: Age- and sex-standardized suicide rates were estimated for 6 health care worker groups (physicians, registered nurses, other health care-diagnosing or treating practitioners, health technicians, health care support workers, social/behavioral health workers) and non-health care workers. Cox models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) of suicide for health care workers compared with non-health care workers using adjusted HRs for age, sex, race and ethnicity, marital status, education, and urban or rural residence. Results: Annual standardized suicide rates per 100 000 persons (median age, 44 [IQR, 35-53] years; 32.4% female [among physicians] to 91.1% [among registered nurses]) were 21.4 (95% CI, 15.4-27.4) for health care support workers, 16.0 (95% CI, 9.4-22.6) for registered nurses, 15.6 (95% CI, 10.9-20.4) for health technicians, 13.1 (95% CI, 7.9-18.2) for physicians, 10.1 (95% CI, 6.0-14.3) for social/behavioral health workers, 7.6 (95% CI, 3.7-11.5) for other health care-diagnosing or treating practitioners, and 12.6 (95% CI, 12.1-13.1) for non-health care workers. The adjusted hazards of suicide were increased for health care workers overall (adjusted HR, 1.32 [95% CI, 1.13-1.54]), health care support workers (adjusted HR, 1.81 [95% CI, 1.35-2.42]), registered nurses (adjusted HR, 1.64 [95% CI, 1.21-2.23]), and health technicians (adjusted HR, 1.39 [95% CI, 1.02-1.89]), but adjusted hazards of suicide were not increased for physicians (adjusted HR, 1.11 [95% CI, 0.71-1.72]), social/behavioral health workers (adjusted HR, 1.14 [95% CI, 0.75-1.72]), or other health care-diagnosing or treating practitioners (adjusted HR, 0.61 [95% CI, 0.36-1.03) compared with non-health care workers (reference). Conclusions: Relative to non-health care workers, registered nurses, health technicians, and health care support workers in the US were at increased risk of suicide. New programmatic efforts are needed to protect the mental health of these US health care workers.

Fatal Drug Overdose Risks of Health Care Workers in the United States : A Population-Based Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Despite an unprecedented increase in drug overdose deaths in the United States, the risks faced by U.S. health care workers, who often have access to controlled prescription drugs, are not known. OBJECTIVE: To estimate risks for drug overdose death among health care workers relative to non-health care workers. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: United States. PARTICIPANTS: Health care workers (n = 176 000) and non-health care workers (n = 1 662 000) aged 26 years or older surveyed in 2008 and followed for cause of death through 2019. MEASUREMENTS: Age- and sex-standardized drug overdose deaths were determined for 6 health care worker groups (physicians, registered nurses, other treating or diagnosing health care workers, health technicians, health care support workers, and social or behavioral health workers) and non-health care workers. Adjusted drug overdose death hazards (and 95% CIs) were also evaluated, with adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, education, income, urban or rural residence, and region. RESULTS: Approximately 0.07% of our study sample died of a drug overdose during follow-up. Among health care workers, annual standardized rates of drug overdose death per 100 000 persons ranged from 2.3 (95% CI, 0 to 4.8) for physicians to 15.5 (CI, 9.8 to 21.2) for social or behavioral health workers. Compared with those for non-health care workers, the adjusted hazards of total drug overdose death were significantly increased for social or behavioral health workers (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.55 [CI, 1.74 to 3.73]), registered nurses (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.22 [CI, 1.57 to 3.13]), and health care support workers (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.60 [CI, 1.19 to 2.16]), but not for physicians (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.61 [CI, 0.19 to 1.93]), other treating or diagnosing health care workers (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.93 [CI, 0.44 to 1.95]), or health technicians (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.13 [CI, 0.75 to 1.68]). Results were generally similar for opioid-related overdose deaths and unintentional overdose deaths. LIMITATION: Unmeasured confounding, uncertain validity of cause of death, and one-time assessment of occupation. CONCLUSION: Registered nurses, social or behavioral health workers, and health care support workers were at increased risk for drug overdose death, suggesting the need to identify and intervene on those at high risk. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Living Alone and Drug Overdose Deaths in the US.

This cohort study examines the risk of drug overdose death in individuals who live alone.

Living Alone and Suicide Risk in the United States, 2008‒2019.

Objectives. To evaluate the association between living alone and suicide and how it varies across sociodemographic characteristics. Methods. A nationally representative sample of adults from the 2008 American Community Survey (n = 3 310 000) was followed through 2019 for mortality. Cox models estimated hazard ratios of suicide across living arrangements (living alone or with others) at the time of the survey. Total and sociodemographically stratified models compared hazards of suicide of people living alone to people living with others. Results. Annual suicide rates per 100 000 person-years were 23.0 among adults living alone and 13.2 among adults living with others. The age-, sex-, and race/ethnicity-adjusted hazard ratio of suicide for living alone was 1.75 (95% confidence interval = 1.64, 1.87). Adjusted hazards of suicide associated with living alone varied across sociodemographic groups and were highest for adults with 4-year college degrees and annual incomes greater than $125 000 and lowest for Black individuals. Conclusions. Living alone is a risk marker for suicide with the strongest associations for adults with the highest levels of income and education. Because these associations were not controlled for psychiatric disorders, they should be interpreted as noncausal. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(12):1774-1782. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.307080).

Dose-Response Association of Low-Intensity and Nondaily Smoking With Mortality in the United States.

Importance: An increasing proportion of US smokers smoke at low intensity and not every day. Some nondaily smokers have always had this pattern, whereas others previously smoked daily. The effect of reducing the level of smoking from daily to nondaily smoking and the dose response at low smoking levels are poorly understood. Objective: To evaluate risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality among nondaily and daily cigarette smokers, by cigarettes per month, years after reducing from daily to nondaily smoking, and years since quitting. Design, Setting, and Participants: A prospective cohort study using harmonized data from multiple cycles of the Tobacco Use Supplements to the Current Population Survey (TUS-CPS), linked to the National Death Index, were analyzed during the period from 2018 to 2020. Adults completed the 1992-1993, 1995-1996, 1998-1999, 2000, 2001-2002, 2003, 2006-2007, or 2010-2011 TUS-CPS. Cigarette smokers were classified as daily or nondaily users; current nondaily smokers were further categorized by whether they previously smoked every day. Main Outcomes and Measures: Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for risks of mortality vs never smoking. Age was the underlying time metric, adjusted for sex, race/ethnicity, education, survey year, and household income. Results: Among 505 500 participants (aged 18-103 years), approximately 47 000 deaths occurred. The median number of cigarettes smoked per month was 600 (interquartile range, 300-600) (20 cigarettes per day [interquartile range, 10-20 cigarettes per day]) for daily cigarette smokers and 40 (interquartile range, 15-90) for lifelong nondaily smokers. Nevertheless, both current daily (HR, 2.32; 95% CI, 2.25-2.38) and lifelong nondaily (HR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.65-2.01) smokers had higher all-cause mortality risks than never smokers. Associations were observed for 6 to 10 cigarettes per month and increased with greater-intensity use. Nondaily smokers who previously smoked every day had lower mortality risks than daily smokers, with similar HRs after 10 or more years of nondaily smoking as lifelong nondaily smokers (HR vs never smokers, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.56-1.92). Yet, their risks were higher than former smokers who quit 10 or more years before (HR vs never smokers, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.15-1.22). Conclusions and Relevance: Although reducing smoking from daily to nondaily was associated with decreased mortality risk, cessation was associated with far greater benefit. Lifelong nondaily smokers have higher mortality risks than never smokers, even among those smoking 6 to 10 cigarettes per month. Thus, all smokers should quit, regardless of how infrequently they smoke.

Socioeconomic risk factors for fatal opioid overdoses in the United States: Findings from the Mortality Disparities in American Communities Study (MDAC).

BACKGROUND: Understanding relationships between individual-level demographic, socioeconomic status (SES) and U.S. opioid fatalities can inform interventions in response to this crisis. METHODS: The Mortality Disparities in American Community Study (MDAC) links nearly 4 million 2008 American Community Survey responses to the 2008-2015 National Death Index. Univariate and multivariable models were used to estimate opioid overdose fatality hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Opioid overdose was an overrepresented cause of death among people 10 to 59 years of age. In multivariable analysis, compared to Hispanics, Whites and American Indians/Alaska Natives had elevated risk (HR = 2.52, CI:2.21-2.88) and (HR = 1.88, CI:1.35-2.62), respectively. Compared to women, men were at-risk (HR = 1.61, CI:1.50-1.72). People who were disabled were at higher risk than those who were not (HR = 2.80, CI:2.59-3.03). Risk was higher among widowed than married (HR = 2.44, CI:2.03-2.95) and unemployed than employed individuals (HR = 2.46, CI:2.17-2.79). Compared to adults with graduate degrees, those with high school only were at-risk (HR = 2.48, CI:2.00-3.06). Citizens were more likely than noncitizens to die from this cause (HR = 4.62, CI:3.48-6.14). Compared to people who owned homes with mortgages, those who rented had higher HRs (HR = 1.36, CI:1.25-1.48). Non-rural residents had higher risk than rural residents (HR = 1.46, CI:1.34, 1.59). Compared to respective referent groups, people without health insurance (HR = 1.30, CI:1.20-1.41) and people who were incarcerated were more likely to die from opioid overdoses (HR = 2.70, CI:1.91-3.81). Compared to people living in households at least five-times above the poverty line, people who lived in poverty were more likely to die from this cause (HR = 1.36, CI:1.20-1.54). Compared to people living in West North Central states, HRs were highest among those in South Atlantic (HR = 1.29, CI:1.11, 1.50) and Mountain states (HR = 1.58, CI:1.33, 1.88). DISCUSSION: Opioid fatality was associated with indicators of low SES. The findings may help to target prevention, treatment and rehabilitation efforts to vulnerable groups.

Lower rates of cancer and all-cause mortality in an Adventist cohort compared with a US Census population.

BACKGROUND: Previous research suggests that Adventists, who often follow vegetarian diets, live longer and have lower risks for many cancers than others, but there are no national data and little published comparative data for black subjects. METHODS: This study compared all-cause mortality and cancer incidence between the nationally inclusive Adventist Health Study 2 (AHS-2) and nonsmokers in US Census populations: the National Longitudinal Mortality Study (NLMS) and its Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results substudy. Analyses used proportional hazards regression adjusting for age, sex, race, cigarette smoking history, and education. RESULTS: All-cause mortality and all-cancer incidence in the black AHS-2 population were significantly lower than those for the black NLMS populations (hazard ratio [HR] for mortality, 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59-0.69; HR for incidence, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.68-0.88). When races were combined, estimated all-cause mortality was also significantly lower in the AHS-2 population at the age of 65 years (HR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.64-0.69) and at the age of 85 years (HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.75-0.81), as was cancer mortality; this was also true for the rate of all incident cancers combined (HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.67-0.74) and the rates of breast, colorectal, and lung cancers. Survival curves confirmed the mortality results and showed that among males, AHS-2 blacks survived longer than white US subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Substantially lower rates of all-cause mortality and cancer incidence among Adventists have implications for the effects of lifestyle and perhaps particularly diet on the etiology of these health problems. Trends similar to those seen in the combined population are also found in comparisons of black AHS-2 and NLMS subjects.

Are associations between psychosocial stressors and incident lung cancer attributable to smoking?

PURPOSE: To learn whether reported associations between major psychosocial stressors and lung cancer are independent of smoking history. METHODS: Subjects were at least 25 years old and without lung cancer at enrollment in the United States Census Bureau's National Longitudinal Mortality Survey in 1995-2008. Follow-up via Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results and National Death Index continued until lung cancer diagnosis, death, or December 2011. Involuntary unemployment, widowhood, and divorce, stratified by sex, were tested for association with subsequent lung cancer using proportional hazards regression for competing risks. Smoking status, years smoked, cigarettes per day, and years since quitting were imputed when missing. RESULTS: At enrollment, subjects (n = 100,733, 47.4% male, age 49.1(±15.8) years) included 17.6% current smokers, 23.5% former smokers. Of men and women, respectively, 11.3% and 15.0% were divorced/separated, 2.9% and 11.8% were widowed, and 2.9% and 2.3% were involuntarily unemployed. Ultimately, 667 subjects developed lung cancer; another 10,071 died without lung cancer. Adjusted for age, education, and ancestry, lung cancer was associated with unemployment, widowhood, and divorce/separation in men but not women. Further adjusted for years smoked, cigarettes per day, and years since quitting, none of these associations was significant in either sex. CONCLUSIONS: Once smoking is accounted for, psychosocial stressors in adulthood do not independently promote lung cancer. Given their increased smoking behavior, persons experiencing stressors should be referred to effective alternatives to smoking and to support for smoking cessation.