Utilização de medicamentos e fatores associados entre crianças residentes em áreas pobres

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:To describe drug use profile in children living in poor areas and associated factors. METHODS:Population-based, cross-sectional study, including 1,382 children aged between four and 11 years. These children were selected by random sampling of 24 micro-areas, representative of the poorest segments of the population living in the city of Salvador, Northeastern Brazil, in 2006. The dependent variable was drug use in the 15 days preceding the surveys. A total of three groups of explanatory variables were considered: socioeconomic variables, child health status, and use of health services. Adjusted analysis used Poisson regression, following a hierarchical conceptual model. RESULTS:Drug use prevalence in children was 48%. Female children showed higher drug use prevalence than males, 50.9% and 45.4%, respectively (p=0.004). Drug use prevalence decreased significantly with age (p<0.001) in both sexes. Most used pharmacological groups were: analgesics/antipyretics (25.5%), systemic antibiotics (6.5%), and anti-cough /expectorant drugs (6.2%). In the multivariate analysis, factors determining greater drug use were: age (four to five, six, seven to eight years); female sex; white mother; poorer health perception; interruption of activities due to health problems and health care, whether ill or not, in the last 15 days; drug spending in the last month; and medical visits in the last three months. CONCLUSIONS:Drug use prevalence in the poor children studied was below that observed in other population-based studies in Brazil, yet similar to that of adults. The identification of groups most subject to excessive drug use may serve as the basis for strategies to promote their rational use.

Utilização de medicamentos e fatores associados: um estudo de base populacional no Município de Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil

“…A diferença entre as mulheres e os homens tem sido explicada por aspectos socioculturais e biológicos que favoreceriam maior adoecimento, maior autocuidado, maior busca por serviços de saúde e maior exposição a medicamentos entre as mulheres 25 . Os serviços de saúde em geral prestam mais assistência ao atendimento das mulheres com programas específicos, como o pré-natal, prevenção de câncer do colo uterino e mama, entre outros 3,18 .…”

Use of medicines and other products for therapeutic purposes among children in Brazil

“…In Norway, about 25.0% of children up to four years of age used medicines, decreasing to approximately 20.0% among older children 10 . Compared to studies carried out in Brazil, prevalence was lower than that observed in Salvador, BA 23 , Bagé, RS 19 , and the Jequitinhonha Valley, MG 8 .…”

“…In Brazil, no study with a representative sample of the country has been carried out, and population-based studies have been limited to samples of children living in municipalities in the South, Southeast, and Northeast Regions 8 , 19 , 20 , 23 . In these studies, prevalence of use of at least one medicine ranged around 50.0%, with variations according to the age group investigated.…”

Utilização de medicamentos em crianças internadas em um hospital geral

“…Os anti-infecciosos sistêmicos aparecem na lista dos medicamentos mais utilizados por crianças em diversos estudos [47,48], e este é um resultado esperado ao considerar-se que as doenças infecciosas, especialmente as de vias respiratórias, estão entre as morbidades mais comuns em crianças, sendo responsáveis por grande parte das prescrições de antimicrobianos [49].…”