Self-medication and its typology in Chinese elderly population: A cross-sectional study
PurposeThis paper aims to evaluate the prevalence of self-medication and its associated factors among the Chinese elderly. Also, according to whether the elderly communicate with doctors (no matter before or after self-medication), we aimed to categorize self-medication and explore the associated fa...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-10-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.954305/full |
| _version_ | 1798031013905956864 |
|---|---|
| author | Shangren Qin Junjie Zhao Mengqiu Zhou Yenuan Cheng Ye Ding |
| author_facet | Shangren Qin Junjie Zhao Mengqiu Zhou Yenuan Cheng Ye Ding |
| author_sort | Shangren Qin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | PurposeThis paper aims to evaluate the prevalence of self-medication and its associated factors among the Chinese elderly. Also, according to whether the elderly communicate with doctors (no matter before or after self-medication), we aimed to categorize self-medication and explore the associated factors.MethodsIt was a cross-sectional study. Data were derived from the 2018 wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). According to whether communicate with doctors or not, self-medication was reclassified as “self-medicate and NOT communicating with a doctor,” and “self-medicate and communicate with a doctor.” A binary logistic regression was used to identify which elderly were more likely to self-medicate, and a multinomial logistic regression was applied to explore the associated influencing factors of self-medication classifications.ResultsA total of 17,445 individuals aged ≥45 years were enrolled. The prevalence of self-medication was 58.60%. Self-medication was strongly associated with sex, education level, pension, self-reported general health status, chronic illness, satisfaction with local medical services, and three province-level socioeconomic welfare variables. About 19.64% of self-medication populations had communicated with a doctor. Higher education level and younger age were significantly associated with a higher probability of “self-medication and communication with a doctor.”ConclusionThe prevalence of self-medication among the Chinese elderly is increasing over the year. Health education on appropriate medication use targeting elder adults with low education levels is highly recommended. The typology of self-medication and its factors are new research entry points and could be meaningful for future studies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T19:50:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-80041b1ae5f34364b15f579e2159c789 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T19:50:24Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-80041b1ae5f34364b15f579e2159c7892022-12-22T04:06:20ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652022-10-011010.3389/fpubh.2022.954305954305Self-medication and its typology in Chinese elderly population: A cross-sectional studyShangren Qin0Junjie Zhao1Mengqiu Zhou2Yenuan Cheng3Ye Ding4School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, ChinaPurposeThis paper aims to evaluate the prevalence of self-medication and its associated factors among the Chinese elderly. Also, according to whether the elderly communicate with doctors (no matter before or after self-medication), we aimed to categorize self-medication and explore the associated factors.MethodsIt was a cross-sectional study. Data were derived from the 2018 wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). According to whether communicate with doctors or not, self-medication was reclassified as “self-medicate and NOT communicating with a doctor,” and “self-medicate and communicate with a doctor.” A binary logistic regression was used to identify which elderly were more likely to self-medicate, and a multinomial logistic regression was applied to explore the associated influencing factors of self-medication classifications.ResultsA total of 17,445 individuals aged ≥45 years were enrolled. The prevalence of self-medication was 58.60%. Self-medication was strongly associated with sex, education level, pension, self-reported general health status, chronic illness, satisfaction with local medical services, and three province-level socioeconomic welfare variables. About 19.64% of self-medication populations had communicated with a doctor. Higher education level and younger age were significantly associated with a higher probability of “self-medication and communication with a doctor.”ConclusionThe prevalence of self-medication among the Chinese elderly is increasing over the year. Health education on appropriate medication use targeting elder adults with low education levels is highly recommended. The typology of self-medication and its factors are new research entry points and could be meaningful for future studies.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.954305/fullself-medicationtypologyelderlyChinacommunication with a doctorcross-sectional study |
| spellingShingle | Shangren Qin Junjie Zhao Mengqiu Zhou Yenuan Cheng Ye Ding Self-medication and its typology in Chinese elderly population: A cross-sectional study Frontiers in Public Health self-medication typology elderly China communication with a doctor cross-sectional study |
| title | Self-medication and its typology in Chinese elderly population: A cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Self-medication and its typology in Chinese elderly population: A cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Self-medication and its typology in Chinese elderly population: A cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Self-medication and its typology in Chinese elderly population: A cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Self-medication and its typology in Chinese elderly population: A cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | self medication and its typology in chinese elderly population a cross sectional study |
| topic | self-medication typology elderly China communication with a doctor cross-sectional study |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.954305/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT shangrenqin selfmedicationanditstypologyinchineseelderlypopulationacrosssectionalstudy AT junjiezhao selfmedicationanditstypologyinchineseelderlypopulationacrosssectionalstudy AT mengqiuzhou selfmedicationanditstypologyinchineseelderlypopulationacrosssectionalstudy AT yenuancheng selfmedicationanditstypologyinchineseelderlypopulationacrosssectionalstudy AT yeding selfmedicationanditstypologyinchineseelderlypopulationacrosssectionalstudy |