Flores Liziane Maahs, Mengue Sotero Serrate
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Rev Saude Publica. 2005 Dec;39(6):924-9. doi: 10.1590/s0034-89102005000600009. Epub 2005 Dec 7.
To describe self-reported drug use by the elderly, evaluating the occurrence of polypharmacy and the influence of sociodemographic and health conditions on the use of medications.
A cross-sectional study comprising a sample of 215 elderly was carried out in Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil, in 2001 and 2002. Data on the use of medications were collected using questionnaires filled out during home visits. Drugs were classified according to the Anatomical-Therapeutical-Chemical Classification System.
Of all respondents, 141 (66%) were women, 117 (54%) aged between 60 and 70 years old, 157 (73%) were white, 115 (53%) lived with a partner, and 145 (67%) had some schooling. The prevalence of the use of medications by the elderly was 91% (n=195). In the week previous to the interview, 697 drugs were used, an average of 3.2 drugs per person (SD=2.5). A total of 187 (87%) subjects had attended at least one medical visit in the last year and 71 (33%) confirmed the use of over-the-counter drugs. Polypharmacy was evidenced in 57 (27%) cases.
There is a pattern of increased drug use by the elderly aged 60 years or more who lives in the study community and slight differences were determined by their health conditions and socioeconomic factors.
描述老年人自我报告的药物使用情况，评估多重用药的发生率以及社会人口学和健康状况对药物使用的影响。
2001年和2002年在巴西南部阿雷格里港对215名老年人进行了一项横断面研究。通过家访时填写的问卷收集药物使用数据。药物根据解剖治疗化学分类系统进行分类。
在所有受访者中，141名（66%）为女性，117名（54%）年龄在60至70岁之间，157名（73%）为白人，115名（53%）与伴侣同住，145名（67%）接受过某种教育。老年人药物使用的患病率为91%（n = 195）。在访谈前一周，共使用了697种药物，平均每人3.2种药物（标准差 = 2.5）。共有187名（87%）受试者在过去一年中至少就诊过一次，71名（33%）确认使用过非处方药。57例（27%）出现多重用药情况。
居住在研究社区的60岁及以上老年人存在药物使用增加的模式，且其健康状况和社会经济因素存在细微差异。
