OBJECTIVE:Use of analgesics has been increasingly recognized as a major public health issue with important consequences in Turkey. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence and patterns of analgesics usage and associated factors in adults with pain complaints.
METHODS:A cross-sectional study was conducted in 15 cities selected from fi ve demographic regions in Turkey. The study sample population comprised 1.909 adults 18-65 age groups suffering from pain. The sampling method was multi-step stratifi ed weighted quota-adjusted sampling. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured survey questionnaire consisting of 28 questions. Odds ratios were produced by logistic regression analyses.
RESULTS:The prevalence of analgesic use was 73.1%, and it was higher in females (75.7%; p<0.05), in subjects 45-54 years (81.4%; p<0.05), in subjects in rural areas (74.6%; p<0.05), in subjects in northern region (84.3%; p<0.05), in illiterate subjects (79.1%; p>0.05), and in subjects of lower socioeconomic status (74.1%; p>0.05). One in ten of the participants used non-prescription analgesics. Non-prescription analgesics were more prevalent among the 55-65 age groups (18.1%; p<0.05), among female (11.6%; p>0.05), among the urban population (10.7%; p>0.05), and in subjects of lower middle socioeconomic status (13.2%; p<0.05). Logistic regression showed statistically signifi cant ORs only for age groups, duration of education, socioeconomic status, and demographic regions (p<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS:The results showed that the prevalence of analgesic use and prescription analgesic use is high in Turkey, and their use is related to sociodemographic characteristics. The frequency of analgesic use has greatly increased over the last three decades in both developed and developing countries. 1,3,12,15,20 In Turkey, analgesics are the most frequently consumed products in treatment groups and they have accounted for 9.5% of pharmaceutical consumption by therapeutic class. 17 At individual level, one of the most common reasons is taking a prescribed and non-prescribed medicine to relieve or treat pain and their symptoms 2,5,19 and it has been reported that non-prescribed and improper use of analgesics has reached worrisome levels. 2,5,12,16 Studies have shown that the majority of analgesics are non-prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, and that painkillers have a major share among OTC drugs. 13,15,16,18 In Turkey, studies also have indicated high rates of irrational use of prescribed and non-prescribed analgesics. 4,14,17 Not only can improper or irrational use of analgesics lead to increased morbidity and mortality rates and deterioration of quality of life, but also it can give rise to misusing RESUMO OBJETIVO: O uso de analgésicos tem sido amplamente reconhecido com um grande problema de saúde pública com importantes conseqüências na Turquia. O objetivo do estudo foi determinar a prevalência e os padrões de uso de analgésicos por adultos e os fatores associados às queixas de dores.
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