OBJECTIVE: To provide a national profile of the area variation in per-capita psychostimulant consumption in the U.S. METHODS: We separated 3030 U.S. counties into two categories of 'low' and 'high' per-capita use of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs (based on data from the Drug Enforcement Administration), and then analyzed them on the basis of their socio-demographic, economic, educational and medical characteristics. RESULTS: We found significant differences and similarities in the profile of counties in the U.S. that are above and below the national median rate of per-capita psychostimulant use (defined as g/per 100K population). Compared to counties below the median level, counties above the median level have: significantly greater population, higher per-capita income, lower unemployment rates, greater HMO penetration, more physicians per capita, a higher ratio of young-to-old physicians and a slightly higher students-to-teacher ratio. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis of the DEA's ARCOS data shows that most of the significant variables correlated with 'higher' per-capita use of ADHD drugs serve as a proxy for county affluence. To provide a more complex, multivariate analysis of the area variation in psychostimulant use across the U.S.-which is the logical next step-requires obtaining price data to match the DEA's quantity data.
OBJECTIVE: To provide a national profile of the area variation in per-capita psychostimulant consumption in the U.S. METHODS: We separated 3030 U.S. counties into two categories of 'low' and 'high' per-capita use of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs (based on data from the Drug Enforcement Administration), and then analyzed them on the basis of their socio-demographic, economic, educational and medical characteristics. RESULTS: We found significant differences and similarities in the profile of counties in the U.S. that are above and below the national median rate of per-capita psychostimulant use (defined as g/per 100K population). Compared to counties below the median level, counties above the median level have: significantly greater population, higher per-capita income, lower unemployment rates, greater HMO penetration, more physicians per capita, a higher ratio of young-to-old physicians and a slightly higher students-to-teacher ratio. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis of the DEA's ARCOS data shows that most of the significant variables correlated with 'higher' per-capita use of ADHD drugs serve as a proxy for county affluence. To provide a more complex, multivariate analysis of the area variation in psychostimulant use across the U.S.-which is the logical next step-requires obtaining price data to match the DEA's quantity data.
Authors: Vilawan Chirdkiatgumchai; Hong Xiao; Bridget K Fredstrom; Ryan E Adams; Jeff N Epstein; Samir S Shah; William B Brinkman; Robert S Kahn; Tanya E Froehlich Journal: Pediatrics Date: 2013-09-30 Impact factor: 7.124
Authors: Eva Charlotte Merten; Jan Christopher Cwik; Jürgen Margraf; Silvia Schneider Journal: Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health Date: 2017-01-17 Impact factor: 3.033