WITHDRAWN: Are Community Level Prescription Opioid Overdoses Associated with Child Harm? a Spatial Analysis of California Zip Codes, 2001-2011

Objectives: Non-medical prescription opioid use is increasing throughout the US; however, little is known about whether it is associated with negative outcomes for children.  We examine whether California communities with greater rates of prescription opioid overdoses also have higher rates of child maltreatment and unintentional child injury.  

Methods: We used longitudinal population data to examine the association between hospital discharges involving overdose of prescription opioids and those for child maltreatment or child injury in California zip codes between 2001-2011 (n = 18,517 space-time units). 

Results:  The percentage of hospital discharges involving prescription opioid overdose was positively associated with the number of hospital discharges for child maltreatment (relative rate=1.089, 95% credible interval = [1.003,1.165]) and child injury (relative rate= 1.055, 95% credible interval = [1.012, 1.096]) over the ten year period, controlling for other substance use and environmental factors. 

Conclusions:  Increases in community level prescription opioid overdoses between 2001-2011 predict a 2.06% increase in child maltreatment discharges and a 1.27% increase in discharges for child injury.  A continuing rise in the rates of non-medical prescription opioid use could have a negative effect on California’s children.