Publication:

Important factors associated with using kratom among the U. S. population aged 12 years and above in 2019

Background The psychoactive Southeast Asian herb known botanically as Mitragyna speciosa, or Kratom, has recently gained appeal as an illicit drug across the world. Demographic factors may explain the increased use of Kratom. Many demographic characteristics and risk factors are associated with kratom use and mental health. This analytical inquiry used the 2019 NSDUH database to identify and investigate the factors linked with Kratom misuse in the United States.

Methods This cross-sectional study monitored the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) dataset, involving a multistage representative area probability sampling method. The data was collected from the non-institutionalized U.S. population aged 12 and above, comprising 98% of the study group. The study used a sample size of 56,136, filtered on inclusion/exclusion criteria. The study findings would offer valuable insights for epidemiologists, policymakers, and the wider community to improve behavioural health.

Results The study found that 66.45% of Kratom users were unmarried, with 33.555% being married, widowed, or divorced. The low p-value of 0.0001 suggested a link between Kratom consumption and marital status. Individuals without mental health education used Kratom at a higher rate (78%), but no significant relationship was found. Males consumed Kratom at a higher rate (58.76%), while females consumed 41.24%.

Conclusions The study highlighted the impact of demographic factors like age, marital status, gender, income, and mental health education on Kratom consumption, with implications for public health policy.