Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39453932›Full record

ArticlePloS one2024

Impact of marginalization on characteristics and healthcare utilization among people with substance use disorder in Ontario, Canada, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

Cherry Chu, Bilal Khan, Deva Thiruchelvam, Janette Brual, Ibukun-Oluwa Omolade Abejirinde, Altea Kthupi, Mina Tadrous

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Utilization of mental health services during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic - a systematic review and meta-analysis.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2026
    Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Cherry ChuWomen's College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-4072-0083
Bilal KhanWomen's College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-2120-6019
Deva ThiruchelvamInstitute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Janette BrualWomen's College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Ibukun-Oluwa Omolade AbejirindeWomen's College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Altea KthupiWomen's College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Mina TadrousWomen's College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-1911-6129

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo describe and compare the characteristics of people with SUD and their use of healthcare services in two ways: 1) across varying levels of marginalization and 2) before and during the pandemic.

methodsWe conducted a population-based cross-sectional study using administrative data from Ontario, Canada. We included individuals age 16+ with a recorded diagnosis of SUD between June 2018-2019 (pre-pandemic) and June 2021-2022 (during-pandemic). Baseline sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and use of healthcare services were enumerated across the five quintiles of the Ontario Marginalization Index.

results259,497 pre-pandemic and 276,459 during-pandemic people with SUD were identified. Over 40% belonged to the two highest marginalization quintiles (Q4/Q5). Most had an outpatient visit with similar percentages across quintiles, however the number of visits increased with increasing marginalization (pre-pandemic: mean 8.5 visits in Q1 vs 13.0 visits in Q5; during-pandemic: mean 9.5 in Q1 vs 13.4 in Q5). There was no consistent pattern in percent of people who sought alcohol-related outpatient care, however more marginalized people sought drug-related outpatient care (pre-pandemic: 19.1% in Q1 vs 31.7% in Q5; during-pandemic: 18.7% in Q1 vs 32.5% in Q5). Almost half of people with SUD had an emergency department (ED) visit, of which more belonged to higher marginalization quintiles (pre-pandemic: 43.5% in Q1 vs 49.8% in Q5; during-pandemic: 41.4% in Q1 vs 49.3% in Q5).

conclusionsSUD prevalence and most health service utilization remained similar from pre- to during-pandemic. Increasing marginalization was associated with increased use of healthcare among people with SUD. Future research should aim to further explore the complex relationship between marginalization and substance use.

Indexed as

COVID-19PandemicsPatient Acceptance of Health CareSubstance-Related DisordersAdolescentAdultAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedOntarioSARS-CoV-2Social MarginalizationYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID39453932
PMCPMC11508079

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.