Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Epidemiologia -Pelotas (RS), Brasil.
Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas - Pelotas (RS), Brasil.
Rev Bras Epidemiol. 2023 Mar 10;26:e230020. doi: 10.1590/1980-549720230020.2. eCollection 2023.
This study aimed to assess the need for help by elderly people to take their medications, the difficulties related to this activity, the frequency of forgotten doses, and factors associated.
Cross-sectional study conducted with a cohort of elderly people (60 years and over - "COMO VAI?" [How do you do?] study), where the need for help to properly take medication and the difficulties faced in using them were evaluated. The Poisson regression model was used to estimate the crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) of the outcomes and respective 95% confidence intervals according to the characteristics of the sample.
In total, 1,161 elderly people were followed up. The prevalence of participants who reported requiring help with medication was 15.5% (95%CI 13.5-17.8), and the oldest subjects, with lower educational levels, in worse economic situations, on four or more medications and in bad self-rated health were the ones who needed help the most. Continuous use of medication was reported by 83.0% (95%CI 80.7-85.1) of the sample and most participants (74.9%; 95%CI 72.0-77.5) never forgot to take their medications.
The need for help to use medications was shown to be influenced by social and economic determinants. Studies assessing the difficulties in medication use by the elderly are important to support policies and practices to improve adherence to treatment and the rational use of medications.
本研究旨在评估老年人在服用药物方面所需的帮助、与该活动相关的困难、漏服剂量的频率以及相关因素。
这是一项横断面研究，对一组老年人（60 岁及以上 - “COMO VAI？”[你好吗？]研究）进行了研究，评估了正确服用药物所需的帮助以及使用药物时面临的困难。使用泊松回归模型根据样本特征估计结局的粗患病率比（PR）和调整后 PR 及其 95%置信区间。
共随访了 1161 名老年人。报告需要帮助服用药物的参与者的患病率为 15.5%（95%CI 13.5-17.8），最年长、受教育程度较低、经济状况较差、服用四种或更多药物以及自我评估健康状况较差的参与者最需要帮助。83.0%（95%CI 80.7-85.1）的样本报告持续使用药物，大多数参与者（74.9%；95%CI 72.0-77.5）从不忘记服药。
使用药物所需的帮助受到社会和经济决定因素的影响。评估老年人在使用药物方面的困难的研究对于支持改善治疗依从性和合理使用药物的政策和实践非常重要。
