Presenter
Joy Ilabija
Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
2026
Abstract
Rhode Island (RI) has been significantly impacted by the drug overdose epidemic, recording 3,800 overdose deaths between 2014 and 2024. RI's overdose death rate, 37.5 per 100,000, exceeds the national average (31.3 per 100,000). Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) increase vulnerability to opioid use disorder (OUD) for higher risk groups. The Community Needs Assessment (CNA) examined how SDOH (education, economic stability, healthcare access) influence OUD in RI. Data sources included the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) Opioid Overdose Integrated Surveillance System, RIDOH's Opioid and Stimulant Use Data Hub, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), and ten academic journals. The CNA focused on needs areas, assets, and recommendations to address OUD in RI. Findings indicated that Non-Hispanic Black individuals experienced the highest burden of fatal overdose, individuals aged 45-54 experienced the highest overdose burdens, and 70% of overdose deaths were male. Municipalities with the highest fatal overdose rates per 100,000 were Woonsocket (58.1), Providence (45.4), Pawtucket (33.3), Cranston (25.5), and Warwick (21.7). Overdose deaths dropped 25% since 2022. Assets included people with lived experience, community health workers, harm reduction vending machines, RIDOH, and state opioid response grants. Increasing access to medication-assisted treatment and education about the opioid epidemic and naloxone could address OUD in RI and reduce stigma.
Faculty Mentor
Sara Namazi, Ph.D, M.S.
Academic Discipline
College of Health & Wellness
Repository Citation
Ilabija, Joy, "Community Needs Assessment- Rhode Island" (2026). Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium. 326.
https://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/innov_symposium/326
