Predisposing factors to the practice of self-medication in Brazil: Results from the National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines (PNAUM)

Emilia da Silva Pons, Daniela Riva Knauth, Álvaro Vigo, Research Group Pnaum and Sotero Serrate Mengue

PLOS ONE, 2017, vol. 12, issue 12, 1-12

Abstract: Objective: To understand the predisposing factors that lead to the practice of self-medication and the factors associated with the use of medicines via self-medication in the adult population of Brazil. Methods: The analyzed data are part of the National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines (PNAUM), a survey whose population consisted of individual residents permanently domiciled in urban areas in Brazil. In this work, the data references the 31 573 respondents aged 20 or higher (76.2% of the final PNAUM sample). Poisson regression models with robust variance were used for estimating the independent effect of each variable with medicine use via self-medication. Results: Of the interviewees, 73.6% stated they had used some medication without medical recommendation if they had previously used the same product; 73.8% stated they had used non-prescribed medicine when the medicine was already present at home; and 35.5% stated they had used some non-prescribed medication when they knew someone who had already taken the same medication. The prevalence of self-medication was 18.3%. The variables associated with the highest probability of using medicine via self-medication were: geographic region within Brazil, gender, age group, per capita income, self-assessment of health, self-reported use of previously used non-prescribed medication, and self-reported use of non-prescribed medication when that medication was already present at home. Conclusions: The use of medicines via self-medication in Brazil is relatively frequent and influenced by previous experience and familiarity with the medications, and is more common among women and individuals with low self-assessment of health.

Date: 2017
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0189098

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189098

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