Citation

Thornton JD, Varisco T, Bhatt P, Olateju O, Shrestha M, Shen C. J. Occup. Environ. Med. 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/JOM.0000000000003029

PMID

38151973

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the association between productivity losses and the use of prescription opioids and benzodiazepines among employed US adults with painful conditions.

METHODS: Using Medical Expenditures Panel Survey (2010-2019), we employed two-part (logistic regression and generalized linear model with zero-truncated negative binomial link) model to compare missed workdays due to illness or injury among employed adults with a painful condition.

RESULTS: Of the eligible sample of 57,413 working US individuals, 14.65% were prescription opioid users, 2.95% were benzodiazepine users, and 1.59% were both opioid and benzodiazepine users. The predicted missed workdays were 5.75 (95%CL:5.58-5.92) days for benzodiazepine users, 13.06 (95%CL:12.88-13.23) days among opioid users, and 15.18 (95%CL:14.46-15.90) days for opioid and benzodiazepine concomitant users.

CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant use of prescription opioids and benzodiazepines was significantly associated with having more missed workdays among employed adults with documented painful conditions.

Language: en