Significant factors associated with problematic use of opioid pain relief medications among the household population, Canada, 2018

Reliance on the use of opioids to manage pain has increased over time, as have opioid-related morbidity and deaths. In 2019, Statistics Canada reported descriptive associations between demographic and geographic descriptors, certain mental health disorders, and problematic opioid pain relief medications (OPRM) use among Canada’s OPRM-using population aged 15 years or older. The goal of this analysis is to extend that previous research by using modelling to examine the associations for a broader range of characteristics. It strives to clarify which socioeconomic, health behaviour and psychosocial factors are independently and significantly associated with a greater likelihood of problematic OPRM use after accounting for other descriptors.