# Assessing the Contribution of Alcohol and Psychotropic Medication Use to Upward US Injury and Poisoning Trends

> **NIH NIH F32** · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $28,286

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The fellowship applicant's long-term goal is to build an academic alcohol and drug epidemiology research
program that (1) clarifies the causes and consequences of population-level patterns of alcohol and drug use
and (2) generates results that can be translated into public health policy recommendations. The mutually
reinforcing training plan and research study in this proposal are designed to help the applicant take the
necessary methodological and professional steps towards his goal.
Project rationale and objectives: In recent years, mortality due to injury, poisoning, suicide, and liver disease
increased substantially and contributed to a decline in U.S. life expectancy. Alcohol and prescription
medication use have been identified as key contributors, but the nature and scope of this contribution require
further clarification in order to create effective solutions. Risky alcohol and medication use trends have not
manifested uniformly in the population. For example, recent increases in binge drinking are concentrated
among adults age 45+ and differences in national drinking patterns between males and females are shrinking
rapidly. In parallel, prescriptions for central nervous system depressant (CNS-D) medication (e.g., opioids,
benzodiazepines, and Z-drug sleep medications) increased substantially and are also concentrated among
those age 45+ and among females. Concurrent use of alcohol and CNS-D medications amplifies the risk of
injury or poisoning, and this risk may be even further magnified among certain subgroups (e.g., older adults or
females). These dynamics may be contributing disproportionately to morbidity trends. By using restricted data
files to link prescription medication data in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) with alcohol use
data for the same individual in the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), we can develop a more
comprehensive explanatory model of alcohol- and medication-related morbidity in the U.S. The research
project within this F32 is aimed at determining (1) which patterns of alcohol use, medication use, and
demographics alter the risk of injury or poisoning, and (2) the extent to which changes in the prevalence of
high-risk alcohol and medication use patterns account for population-level injury and poisoning trends.
Training: The training plan in this fellowship outlines four learning objectives: (1) alcohol epidemiology and
alcohol policy research; (2) advanced analytical methods in epidemiology and pharmacoepidemiology; (3)
content-knowledge and analysis of national health surveys; (4) professional development (including
responsible conduct of research and K01 grant development). These objectives will be achieved through
formal courses, directed readings, discussions with mentors, and execution of the proposed project. These
experiences fill specific knowledge and skill gaps and will enhance the applicant's ability to develop an
independent research career.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10023139
- **Project number:** 5F32AA027941-02
- **Recipient organization:** WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Jacob T Borodovsky
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $28,286
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-02 → 2021-01-03

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10023139

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10023139, Assessing the Contribution of Alcohol and Psychotropic Medication Use to Upward US Injury and Poisoning Trends (5F32AA027941-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-29 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10023139. Licensed CC0.

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