Table 2.
Age-adjusted drug overdose death rate per 100 000 standard population among Kentucky residents (N = 7384), by race and ethnicity and year, 2016-2020 a
| Year | Kentucky, no., rate (95% CI) b | Non-Hispanic Black, no., rate (95% CI) b | Non-Hispanic White no., rate (95% CI) b | Rate ratio c (95% CI) [P value] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1386, 32.7 (40.0-34.5) | 78, 21.2 (16.7-26.8) | 1286, 35.3 (33.4-37.4) | 0.60 d (0.47-0.76) [<.001] |
| 2017 | 1474, 35.0 (33.2-36.9) | 91, 25.7 (20.6-31.9) | 1365, 37.9 (35.9-40.0) | 0.68 (0.54-0.84) [<.001] |
| 2018 | 1249, 29.2 (27.6-30.9) | 76, 19.8 (15.5-25.1) | 1144, 31.6 (29.8-33.5) | 0.63 (0.49-0.79) [<.001] |
| 2019 | 1316, 30.9 (29.3-32.7) | 105, 28.1 (22.8-34.3) | 1187, 32.8 (30.9-34.8) | 0.85 (0.70-1.05) [.13] |
| 2020 | 1959, 46.1 (44.0-48.2) | 172, 46.0 (39.2-53.7) | 1759, 48.7 (46.4-51.1) | 0.94 (0.80-1.11) [.48] |
Data source: Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics death certificate records as part of the Kentucky Drug Overdose Fatality Surveillance System. 18 The number of overdose deaths among non-Hispanic Other and Hispanic residents are included in the total for Kentucky but not reported as separate categories because of small annual counts and unstable rates. The reported counts are provisional (as of April 13, 2021) and subject to change. The 2020 rates are based on 2019 bridged-race population estimates because at the time this analysis was performed, the 2020 bridged-race population estimates produced by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) were not available. Data source for population estimates: NCHS. Bridged-race resident population estimates, 1990-2019. 29
The number of drug overdose deaths, age-adjusted rate per 100 000 standard population, and 95% CI for the age-adjusted rate.
The rate ratio, 95% CI for the rate ratio, and a P value for the log rate ratio statistics that was considered significant if P < .05.
The rate ratio of 0.60 in 2016 means that in 2016, non-Hispanic Black residents had an age-adjusted drug overdose death rate (21.2) that was 40% lower than the rate among non-Hispanic White residents in the same year (35.3).