Data Docs
Variable constructs are grouped thematically below to highlight the multi-dimensional risk environment of opioid use in justice populations. In the Metadata column, linked pages provide more detail about the data source, descriptions of data cleaning or processing, and individual variables included.
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Geographic Boundaries
| Variable Construct | Variable Proxy | Source | Metadata | Spatial Scale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geographic Boundaries | State, County, Census Tract, Zip Code Tract Area (ZCTA) | US Census, 2018 | Geographic Boundaries | State, County, Tract, Zip |
| Crosswalk files | County, Census Tract, Zip Code Tract Area (ZCTA) | HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) | Crosswalk Files | County, Tract, Zip |
Policy Variables
| Variable Construct | Variable Proxy | Source | Metadata | Spatial Scale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prison Incarceration Rates | Prison population rate and prison admission rate by gender and ethnicity | Vera Institute of Justice, 2016 | PS01 / Prison Variables | County |
| Jail Incarceration Rates | Jail population rate by gender and ethnicity | Vera Institute of Justice, 2017 | PS02 / Jail Variables | County |
| Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMP) | Any PDMP; Operational PDMP; Must-access PDMP; Electronic PDMP | OPTIC, 2017 | PS03 / PDMP | State |
| Good Samaritan Laws | Any Good Samaritan Law; Good Samaritan Law protecting arrest | OPTIC, 2017 | PS04 / GSL_2018 | State |
| Naloxone Access Laws | Any Naloxone law; law allowing distribution through a standing or protocal order; law allowing pharmacists prescriptive authority | OPTIC, 2017 | PS05 / NAL | State |
| Medicaid Expenditure | Total Medicaid spending | KFF, 2019 | PS06 / MedExp | State |
| Medicaid Expansion | Spending for adults who have enrolled through Medicaid expansion | KFF, 2018 | PS07 / MedExpan | State |
| Syringe Services Laws | Laws clarifying legal status for syringe exchange, distribution, and possession programs | LawAtlas, 2019 | PS08 / Syringe | State |
| Medical Marijuana Laws | Law authorizing adults to use medical marijuana | PDAPS, 2017 | PS09 / MedMarijLaw | State |
| State & Local Government Expenditures | Government spending on public health, welfare, public safety, and corrections | US Census, 2018 | PS11 / Government Expenditures | State, Local |
Health Variables
| Variable Construct | Variable Proxy | Source | Metadata | Spatial Scale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drug-related death rate | Death rate from drug-related causes | CDC WONDER, 2009-2019 | Health01 / Drug-Related Death Rate | State, County |
| Hepatitis C rates | HepC prevalence and mortality | HepVu, 2017 | Health02 / Hepatitis C | State, County |
| Physicians | Number of Primary Care and Specialist Physicians | Dartmouth Atlas, 2010 | Health03 / Physicians | Tract, County, State |
| Opioid Prescription Rates | Opioid Prescription Rates | HepVu, CDC, 2018-2019 | Health04 / Opioid Prescription Rates | County, State |
| Opioid Mortality Rates | Opioid Mortality Rates | HepVu, NVSS, 2014-2019 | Health04 / Opioid Mortality Rates | County, State |
| Access to MOUDs | Access to MOUDs | SAMHSA, 2019; Vivitrol, 2020; OSRM, 2020 | Access01 / Access: MOUDs | Tract, Zip, County, State |
| Access to Health Centers | Access to FQHCs | US Covid Atlas via HRSA, 2020 | Access02 / Access: FQHCs | Tract, Zip, County, State |
| Access to Hospitals | Access to hospitals | CovidCareMap, 2020 | Access03 / Access: Hospitals | Tract, Zip, County, State |
| Access to Pharmacies | Access to pharmacies | InfoGroup, 2019 | Access04 / Access: Pharmacies | Tract, Zip, County, State |
| Access to Mental Health Providers | Access to mental health providers | SAMHSA, 2020 | Access05 / Access: Mental Health Providers | Tract, Zip, County, State |
| Access to Substance Use Treatment Programs | Access substance use treatment (SUT) programs | SAMHSA, 2020 | Access06 / Access: Substance Use Treatment Programs | Tract, Zip, County, State |
| Access to Opioid Treatment Programs | Access to opioid treatment programs (OTP) | SAMHSA, 2021 | Access07 / Access: Opioid Treatment Programs | Tract, Zip |
Demographic Variables
| Variable Construct | Variable Proxy | Source | Metadata | Spatial Scale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race & Ethnicity | Percentages of population defined by categories of race and ethnicity | ACS, 2018 5-year | Race & Ethnicity Variables | State, County, Tract, Zip |
| Age | Age group estimates and percentages of population | ACS, 2018 5-year | DS01 / Age Variables | State, County, Tract, Zip |
| Population with a Disability | Percentage of population with a disability | ACS, 2018 5-year | DS01 / Other Demographic Variables | State, County, Tract, Zip |
| Educational Attainment | Population without a high school degree | ACS, 2018 5-year | DS01 / Other Demographic Variables | State, County, Tract, Zip |
| Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) | SDOH Neighborhood Typologies | Kolak et al, 2020 | DS02 / SDOH Typology | Tract |
| Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) | SVI Rankings | CDC, 2018 | DS03 / SVI | County, Tract |
| Veteran Population | Population as defined by veteran status | ACS, 2017 5-year | DS04 / Veteran Population Variables | State, County, Tract, Zip |
| Household Type | Household types and group quarter populations | ACS, 2018 5-year | DS05 / Household Type | State, County, Tract, Zip |
| Homeless Population | Homelessness as defined by US Homeless Census | HUD, 2018 | DS06 / Homeless Population Variables | State, County, Tract, Zip |
Economic Variables
| Variable Construct | Variable Proxy | Source | Metadata | Spatial Scale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment Trends | Percentage of population employed in High Risk of Injury Jobs, Educational Services, Health Care, Retail industries | ACS, 2018 5-year | EC01 / Jobs by Industry | State, County, Tract, Zip |
| Essential Workers | Percentage of population employed in Essential Jobs as defined during the COVID-19 pandemic (see COVID-19 Variables, below) | ACS, 2018 5-year | EC02 / Jobs by Industry | State, County, Tract, Zip |
| Unemployment Rate | Unemployment rate | ACS, 2014-2018 | EC03 / Economic Variables | State, County, Tract, Zip |
| Poverty Rate | Percent classified as below poverty level, based on income | ACS, 2018 5-year | EC03 / Economic Variables | State, County, Tract, Zip |
| Per Capita Income | Per capita income in the past 12 months | ACS, 2018 5-year | EC03 / Economic Variables | State, County, Tract, Zip |
| Foreclosure Rate | Mortgage foreclosure and severe delinquency rate | HUD, 2009 | EC04 / Foreclosure Rate | State, County, Tract |
| Internet Access | Percent of households without internet access | ACS, 2019 5-year | EC05 / Internet Access | State, County, Tract, Zip |
Physical Environment Variables
| Variable Construct | Variable Proxy | Source | Metadata | Spatial Scale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing Occupancy Rate | Percent occupied units | ACS, 2018 5-year | BE01 / Housing | State, County, Tract, Zip |
| Housing Vacancy Rate | Percent vacant units | ACS, 2018 5-year | BE01 / Housing | State, County, Tract, Zip |
| Long Term Occupancy | Percentage of population living in current housing for 20+ years | ACS, 2018 5-year | BE01 / Housing | State, County, Tract, Zip |
| Mobile Homes | Percent of housing units classified as mobile homes | ACS, 2018 5-year | BE01 / Housing | State, County, Tract, Zip |
| Rental Rates | Percent of housing units occupied by renters | ACS, 2018 5-year | BE01 / Housing | State, County, Tract, Zip |
| Housing Unit Density | Housing units per square mile | ACS, 2018 5-year | BE01 / Housing | State, County, Tract, Zip |
| Urban/Suburban/Rural Classification (County) | Classification of areas as rural, urban or suburban using percent rurality (County) | USDA-ERS, 2010 & ACS, 2018 5-year | BE02 / Rural-Urban Classifications | County |
| Urban/Suburban/Rural Classification (Tract, Zip) | Classification of areas as rural, urban or suburban using RUCA Codes (Tract, Zip) | USDA-ERS, 2010 | BE02 / Rural-Urban Classifications | Tract, Zip |
| Alcohol Outlet Density | Alcohol outlets per square mile, alcohol outlets per capita | InfoGroup, 2018 | BE03 / Alcohol Outlets | State, County, Tract, Zip |
| Hypersegregated Cities | US metropolitan areas where black residents experience hypersegregation | Massey et al, 2015 | BE04 / Community Overlays | County |
| Southern Black Belt | US counties where 30% of the population identified as Black or African American | US Census, 2010 | BE04 / Community Overlays | County |
| Native American Reservations | Percent area of total land in Native American Reservations | US Census, TIGER/Line 2018 | BE04 / Community Overlays | County |
| Residential Segregation Indices | Three index measures of segregation: dissimilarity, interaction, isolation | ACS, 2018 5-year | BE05 / Residential Segregation | State, County, Zip |
| NDVI | Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) average value | Sentinel-2 MSI, 2018 | BE06 / NDVI | State, County, Tract, Zip |
COVID Variables
| Variable Construct | Variable Proxy | Source | Metadata | Spatial Scale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential Worker Jobs | Percentage of population employed in Essential Jobs as defined during the COVID-19 pandemic | ACS, 2018 5-year | EC02 / Jobs by Occupation | State, County, Tract, Zip |
| Cumulative Case Count | Daily cumulative raw case count (01/21/20 - 03/03/2021) | The New York Times, 2021 | COVID01 / COVID Variables | State, County |
| Adjusted Case Count per 100K | Daily cumulative adjusted case count per 100K population (01/21/20 - 03/03/2021) | The New York Times, 2021 | COVID02 / COVID Variables | State, County |
| 7-day Average Case Count | 7-day average case count (01/21/20 - 03/03/2021) | The New York Times, 2021 | COVID03 / COVID Variables | State, County |
| Historical 7-day Average Adjusted Case Count per 100K | 7-day average adjusted case count per 100K population (01/21/20 - 03/03/2021) | The New York Times, 2021 | COVID04 / COVID Variables | State, County |
Travel Time Matrices
National travel time matrices calculated for origin-destination (O:D) pairs of Census tract and ZCTA centroids for multiple modes of transit: driving, biking, and walking. Matrices calculated using Open Source Routing Machine (OSRM) in 2020. Download matrices at the links below.