[Continuous regular use of mild analgesics in Denmark].

INTRODUCTION

In spite of the negative health effects associated with the use of analgesics, little is known about the prevalence of continuous regular use of analgesics or about the factors associated with their use. The objective of this article is to describe continuous regular use of acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin in Denmark and to examine factors associated with their use.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study is based on data from two surveys and includes a random sample of women and men aged 18-45 years from the general Danish population. A total of 22,199 women (response rate 81%) and 23,080 men (response-rate 71%) were included in the study. Data was analyzed using multivariate logistic regression.

RESULTS

More women than men reported a regular monthly use of acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin during the past year. Acetaminophen was the most commonly used type of analgesic of which 20% of the women and 13% of the men reported a regular monthly use. Besides poor self-rated health, we found that increasing age, low level of education, living in lesser urbanized areas, smoking and being overweight were associated with a higher risk of having a continuous regular weekly use of acetaminophen, ibuprofen or aspirin.

CONCLUSION

Continuous regular use of analgesics is generally prevalent amongst young Danish men and women. This study demonstrates social inequalities in the use of analgesics, which make this a potential area for intervention that deserves further attention.