Sociodemographic and Health-Related Factors Influencing Drug Intake among the Elderly Population

Alicja Pietraszek, Siddarth Agrawal, Mateusz Dróżdż, Sebastian Makuch, Igor Domański, Tomasz Dudzik, Krzysztof Dudek and Małgorzata Sobieszczańska
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Alicja Pietraszek: Clinical Department of Geriatrics, Wroclaw Medical University, Skłodowskiej-Curie Str. 66, 50-369 Wroclaw, Poland
Siddarth Agrawal: Department and Clinic of Internal Medicine, Occupational Diseases, Hypertension and Clinical Oncology, Wroclaw Medical University, Borowska Str. 213, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland
Mateusz Dróżdż: Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, Jana Mikulicza-Radeckiego 5, 50-345 Wroclaw, Poland
Sebastian Makuch: Department of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, Wroclaw Medical University, K. Marcinkowskiego Str. 1, 50-368 Wroclaw, Poland
Igor Domański: Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, Jana Mikulicza-Radeckiego 5, 50-345 Wroclaw, Poland
Tomasz Dudzik: Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, Jana Mikulicza-Radeckiego 5, 50-345 Wroclaw, Poland
Krzysztof Dudek: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Str. I. Łukasiewicza 5, 50-371 Wroclaw, Poland
Małgorzata Sobieszczańska: Clinical Department of Geriatrics, Wroclaw Medical University, Skłodowskiej-Curie Str. 66, 50-369 Wroclaw, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 14, 1-18

Abstract: Excessive drugs intake among the elderly population, including self-medication, constitutes an important public health problem. Polypharmacy may lead to numerous adverse health effects, which become more prevalent when combined with biological changes in seniors. In this cross-sectional study, 500 Polish adults aged ≥60 years (M = 67.9 ± 4.2) were asked to complete a questionnaire via telephone calls, allowing us to identify sociodemographic and health-related factors influencing the daily medications consumption. Our findings revealed that all of the participants were receiving medications; 60.2% of them receive at least 1 to 3 drugs per day (301/500). The most commonly used medications included antihypertensive drugs and analgesics (51.0% and 46.0%, respectively). Taking into account clinical conditions, independent predictors of receiving over 3 medications per day turned out to be (1) coronary artery disease (OR = 6.77; CI 95%, 2.86–16.1), (2) diabetes (OR = 3.23, CI 95%, 1.75–5.95), (3) asthma (OR = 4.87, CI 95%, 2.13–11.1), (4) heart failure (OR = 3.38, CI 95%, 1.59–7.19) and (5) gastroesophageal reflux disease (OR = 1.93, CI 95%, 1.03–3.62). Participants suffering from depression were more likely to take drugs for hypertension (OR = 1.70, CI 95%, 1.04–2.78), while those with anxiety and social loneliness took more painkillers (OR = 2.59, CI 95%, 1.58–4.26 and OR = 2.08, CI 95%, 1.38–3.13, respectively). The most significant sociodemographic factors increasing the drugs intake among the population included in our study were high body mass and subsequent increased BMI values (OR = 2.68, CI 95%, 1.50–4.77). Furthermore, living in a city with over 400,000 inhabitants increased the likelihood of taking antidepressants (OR = 2.18, CI 95%, 1.20–3.94). Our study revealed factors increasing the risk of excessive medications intake and hence, increased susceptibility to some iatrogenic diseases among the elderly population. These factors should be considered by primary care physicians while prescribing appropriate drugs to elderly patients.

Keywords: sociodemographic factors; drug intake; elderly population (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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