# Investigating Maternal Opioid Use, Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome and Response in NW Tribal Communities

> **NIH NIH R21** · NORTHWEST PORTLAND AREA INDIAN HLTH BD · 2020 · $196,275

## Abstract

Abstract (30 lines max)
Medical and nonmedical use of prescription opioids has rocketed in the US over the past two
decades. The rise in opioid use during pregnancy marked disparities among AI/AN women and
newborns. While there are evidence-based treatment strategies recommended for use during
pregnancy and in the postnatal use period, use of these strategies is substantially lower in
AI/AN across the US. As sovereign nations, tribes are often responsible for policies, practices,
and infrastructure improvements to address these problems. The Northwest Tribal Epidemiology
Center (The EpiCenter) is tasked with responding to the data needs of the 43 NW Tribes,
including Opioid use, Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) and access and utilization of
treatment related information. We initiate this proposal in response to these requests and needs
of the tribes.
We plan to perform an epidemiologic assessment to determine the magnitude and impact of
maternal substance use during pregnancy and NAS among American Indians in the Northwest.
We will leverage ongoing and planned work in the Tribal Epidemiology Center to estimate race-
corrected rates and trends of maternal substance use during pregnancy and NAS in hospital
discharge data. We will also investigate opioid use and treatment in the NW as reported in
Indian Health Service’s national data repository. We will complement these quantitative data
with qualitative data to help us understand the environmental, social and organizational
structures, processes, and policies, as well as individual behaviors that influence access to, or
use of, treatment in Northwest Tribes
This proposal will bring together epidemiologic and content experts, as advisory board members
to respond to the data and ensure that analyses and reports are useful to decision-makers in
various capacities. Upon successful completion of these study aims proposed, we will be
poised to implement and evaluate future tribal interventions and policies, which in the long term
could reduce the effect of the opioid crisis in Northwest American Indian communities.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9980845
- **Project number:** 5R21DA047940-02
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWEST PORTLAND AREA INDIAN HLTH BD
- **Principal Investigator:** JODI A LAPIDUS
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $196,275
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-08-01 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9980845

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9980845, Investigating Maternal Opioid Use, Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome and Response in NW Tribal Communities (5R21DA047940-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9980845. Licensed CC0.

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