• Isabelle Pitrou, Carina D'Aiuto, Carlotta Lunghi, Line Guénette, Djamal Berbiche, Karine Bertrand, and Helen-Maria Vasiliadis.
• Department of Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sherbrooke, Longueuil, Canada.
• Fam Pract. 2024 Aug 14; 41 (4): 442450442-450.

ObjectiveTo examine changes in life satisfaction and physical and mental health associated with opioid and potentially inappropriate opioid prescribing (PIOP) among older adults.MethodsSecondary data analysis from the Étude sur la Santé des Aînés (ESA)-Services study. The sample consisted of 945 older adults recruited in primary care with available health survey information linked to administrative medical record data. The exposure of interest was categorized as no prescription, opioid prescription, and PIOP, defined using the Beers criteria. Outcomes were self-rated physical health, mental health, and life satisfaction measured at baseline and at a 3-year follow-up. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine 3-year changes in outcomes as a function of opioid prescribing. Analyses were adjusted for covariates relating to health, psychosocial, and sociodemographic factors as well as duration/frequency of opioid prescribing. Analyses were conducted in the overall sample and in non-cancer patients.ResultsThe sample had an average age of 73.1 years; the majority was Canadian-born (96.3%) while females made up over half (55.4%) the sample. Compared to not receiving an opioid prescription, PIOP was associated with a deterioration in physical health (ORadjusted = 0.65; 95%CI = 0.49, 0.86), but not mental health and life satisfaction. In non-cancer patients, PIOP was associated with poorer physical health (ORadjusted = 0.59; 95%CI = 0.40, 0.87) and opioid prescribing was marginally associated with improved life satisfaction (ORadjusted = 1.58; 95%CI = 0.96, 2.60).ConclusionPIOP was associated with a deterioration in physical health. Patient-centred chronic pain management and the effect on health and well-being require further study in older adults.© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.

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