Prevalence and characteristics of self-reported kratom use in a representative US general population sample

Reports of kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) use, a medicinal plant widely found in Southeast Asia, are on the rise in the US. However, the prevalence and characteristics of individuals who use kratom in the US is unknown. To estimate lifetime prevalence of, and descriptive characteristics associated with...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of addictive diseases 2020-10, Vol.38 (4), p.506-513
Main Authors: Covvey, Jordan R., Vogel, Samantha M., Peckham, Alyssa M., Evoy, Kirk E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Addictions
Cannabis
Cocaine
Demography
Drug abuse
Ecstasy drug
Ethnicity
Heroin
Insight
Kratom
Marijuana
MDMA
Medicinal plants
Methamphetamine
mitragyna speciosa
Nicotine
opioid
Respondents
substance misuse
substance use
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Summary:Reports of kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) use, a medicinal plant widely found in Southeast Asia, are on the rise in the US. However, the prevalence and characteristics of individuals who use kratom in the US is unknown. To estimate lifetime prevalence of, and descriptive characteristics associated with, kratom use in a sample of the US general population. A cross-sectional survey was administered online by Qualtrics® research panel aggregator. Utilizing quota-based sampling, data was collected from a US sample aged 18-59 years, representative to age, geographic region, ethnicity, income, and education level. Data was collected regarding respondent demographic/clinical characteristics, as well as frequency/patterns of kratom and other drug use. Among 1,842 respondents, 112 (6.1%) reported use of kratom within their lifetime. Respondents who used kratom were largely between 25-44 years old, male, employed, and at higher educational levels. A total of 24.1% to 47.3% of respondents indicated self-reported diagnoses for addiction, and 42.9% reported having previously received treatment for addiction. A total of 71.4% to 92% of respondents who used kratom also reported use of other drugs, including nicotine, cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, methamphetamine, and heroin. To our knowledge, this analysis provides the first estimate of kratom use in the general US population, providing insight on demographic/clinical characteristics of individuals reporting use.
ISSN:1055-0887
1545-0848
DOI:10.1080/10550887.2020.1788914