Tzimis L, Kafatos A
Department of Pharmacy Services, Chania General Hospital St. George, Chania, Crete, Greece.
Public Health. 2000 Sep;114(5):393-7. doi: 10.1038/sj.ph.1900648.
To examine pharmaceutical needs, prescribed drugs, knowledge about pharmacotherapy and dietary patterns among indigent children.
101 children (< or =18 y old), typically poor, from low-income families and emigrants coming back home from other countries, registered under Social Care in Chania, Crete. The control group comprised 81 Social Security insured children (< or =18 y old). The length of the study was from January 1995 to December 1997.
The socio-demographic profile of the Social Care children reveals a no schooling rate of 9.7% vs 0% of the control group. The most common disease diagnosed in the indigent children was bronchitis (18.5%) compared with respiratory infection (14.6%) in the control group. Tuberculosis was diagnosed in 2.0% of the Social Care indigent children and in none of the insured children. The most frequently prescribed drug category in both groups as Defined Daily Doses (D.D.D.) was for the respiratory system (32.4% vs 21.2%), while antibiotics were the most expensive (41.6% in the indigent vs 54.9% in the control group). Only 27.4% of Social Care indigent patients, versus 51.2% of insured patients, understood the instructions regarding the proper use of their drugs. Regarding the dietary patterns, significant differences were found in the consumption of breakfast every day (73.7% vs 87.7%), red meat > or =4 per week (0% vs 6.3%) and fruits often (60.1% vs 75.0%).
The present study emphasises the need for more information on drug use and the necessity for a continuing health educational intervention among indigent children.
调查贫困儿童的药物需求、处方药使用情况、药物治疗知识及饮食模式。
101名儿童（年龄≤18岁），主要为贫困儿童，来自低收入家庭以及从其他国家返乡的移民，在克里特岛干尼亚的社会关怀机构登记在册。对照组为81名参加社会保险的儿童（年龄≤18岁）。研究时间为1995年1月至1997年12月。
社会关怀儿童的社会人口学特征显示，未上学率为9.7%，而对照组为0%。贫困儿童中最常见的诊断疾病是支气管炎（18.5%），而对照组为呼吸道感染（14.6%）。2.0%的社会关怀贫困儿童被诊断患有结核病，而参保儿童中无人患此病。两组按限定日剂量（D.D.D.）计算，最常开具的药物类别均为呼吸系统药物（32.4%对21.2%），而抗生素是最昂贵的药物（贫困儿童组为41.6%，对照组为54.9%）。只有27.4%的社会关怀贫困患者理解正确用药说明，而参保患者的这一比例为51.2%。在饮食模式方面，发现每天吃早餐的情况（73.7%对87.7%）、每周食用红肉≥4次的情况（0%对6.3%）以及经常吃水果的情况（60.1%对75.0%）存在显著差异。
本研究强调了贫困儿童需要更多药物使用信息以及持续进行健康教育干预的必要性。
