Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39522042›Full record

ArticleHarm reduction journal2024

A cross-sectional study of stigma towards opioid users among rural law enforcement and community members in tennessee.

Kahler W Stone, Gabrielle M Chesak, Angela S Bowman, Michael Ayalon, Cynthia Chafin

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Article in Harm reduction journal, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–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

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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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Recruitment strategies for community-based pharmacy research.Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy · 2026
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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

5 authors.

Kahler W StoneHealth and Human Performance, Middle Tennessee State University, 1301 E. Main Street Box 96, Murfreesboro, TN, 37132, USA. Kahler.Stone@mtsu.edu.
Gabrielle M ChesakHealth and Human Performance, Middle Tennessee State University, 1301 E. Main Street Box 96, Murfreesboro, TN, 37132, USA.
Angela S BowmanHealth and Human Performance, Middle Tennessee State University, 1301 E. Main Street Box 96, Murfreesboro, TN, 37132, USA.
Michael AyalonCenter for Health and Human Services, Middle Tennessee State University, 1114 East Lytle Street Box 99, Murfreesboro, TN, 37132, USA.
Cynthia ChafinCenter for Health and Human Services, Middle Tennessee State University, 1114 East Lytle Street Box 99, Murfreesboro, TN, 37132, USA.

Funding

HRSA HHS GA1RH42913
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe U.S. opioid crisis, resulting in nearly 500,000 deaths from 1999 to 2019, has been exacerbated by persistent stigma, which hinders treatment and recovery efforts. This stigma, whether structural, social, or self-imposed, challenges overdose prevention and recovery. Our study aimed to assess and compare levels of stigma towards opioid users among rural law enforcement officers (LEOs) and community members in Tennessee, highlighting rural community-level attitudes.

methodsMethods involved surveying two groups: LEOs (N=48) and community members (N=393). Utilizing a Likert Scale based on prior research, the survey probed attitudes toward drug use across four stigma domains: dangerousness, blame, social distancing, and fatalism. Analysis employed standardized scoring and ANOVA for evaluating stigma differences by participant characteristics.

resultsLEOs (75%) and community members (51.7%) predominantly identify drug users as white, with varied perceptions regarding socioeconomic status and employment. Despite similar perceptions, normalized stigma scores revealed statistical differences between groups across stigma domains. ANOVA found no significant impact of participant type or gender on stigma levels, though race/ethnicity and its interaction with gender suggested potential influences on overall stigma score.

conclusionsBoth LEOs and community members in rural Tennessee hold measurable stigma against opioid users, spanning dangerousness, blame, social distancing, and fatalism domains. These insights highlight the need for further research into both professional and public attitudes toward individuals with opioid or other substance use disorders within shared communities. This research should aim to develop specific stigma-reducing interventions that target both providers and community members.

Indexed as

Opioid-Related DisordersRural PopulationSocial StigmaAdultAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPoliceSurveys and QuestionnairesTennesseeYoung AdultCommunityLaw enforcementOpioidsPeople who use drugsProviderStigma

Identifiers

PMID39522042
PMCPMC11549791

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.