Use of medication and associated factors in adults living in Rio Branco, Acre

Abstract

Abstract We analyzed use of medication and associated factors in adults aged 18-59 years living in Rio Branco, Acre. This is a cross-sectional and population-based study that used a probabilistic sample of the population from rural and urban areas of the city of Rio Branco, Acre. The Prevalence Ratio (PR) was calculated with 95% confidence intervals and associations were estimated by Poisson regression. This study found a 29.4% prevalence ratio of use of medication among individuals aged from 18 to 59 years (685 adults: 473 women and 212 men; producing estimates for 211,902 adults: 110,769 women and 101,133 men). After adjusted analysis, their use was associated with: age (50-59 years, PR: 2.36; 95%CI: 2.29-2.43); women (PR: 1.25; 95%CI: 1.23-1.27); up to elementary school (PR: 1.13; 95%CI: 1.11-1.15); and poor or very poor self-rated health (PR: 1.47; 95%CI: 1.43-1.51). The health conditions associated with use of medication were: number of comorbidities, hypertension, diabetes, insomnia, depression, number of health complaints and use of health services. The most frequently used drugs were those belonging to the following ATC categories: alimentary tract and metabolism, cardiovascular system, nervous system, and the musculoskeletal system.

Keywords

• Use of medication
• Pharmacoepidemiology
• Public health