Over-the-counter medication use in an older rural community: the MoVIES Project.

Over-the-counter medication use in an older rural community: the MoVIES Project. Research Abstract Details 

Research Abstract Table of Contents

Jump to the:

Over-the-counter medication use in an older rural community: the MoVIES Project. Abstract Text:

OBJECTIVE: To examine the self-reported use of over-the-counter (OTC) medications and the factors associated with OTC use in a rural older population. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study of an age-stratified random community sample. SETTING: The mid-Monongahela Valley, a rural area of Southwestern Pennsylvania. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1059 older individuals with a mean age of 74.5 (+/- 5.5) years, 96.9% of whom were white and 57.3% of whom were women. MEASUREMENTS: Self-reported over-the-counter drug use and demographic information, and information about prescription drug use and recent use of health services. RESULTS: The majority (87.0%) of the sample were taking at least one OTC medication; 5.7% reported taking five or more OTCs. Women took significantly more OTCs than did men (P < .001). Individuals with more education took significantly more OTCs than those who had less (P = .018). The OTC category used most commonly was analgesics (66.3% overall), followed by vitamin and mineral supplements (38.1%), antacids (27.9%), and laxatives (9.7%). The use of analgesics decreased significantly (P = .018) with increasing age, whereas the use of laxatives increased significantly (P < .001). Women were more likely than men to be using each of these four major OTC groups. Unlike the associations with prescription drug use we reported previously in the same population, there were no significant associations for overall OTC use with age or with the use of health services. However, although vitamin use (as an example of an OTC drug taken for "preventive" purposes) was not associated with health services use, the use of laxatives (as an example of a "curative" OTC) was significantly associated (P < or = .002) with a greater number of physician visits, emergency room visits, hospitalizations during the past 6 months, home health care service utilization, and number of prescription medications. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of our older sample reported using a variety of over-the-counter drugs. Analgesics and vitamin/mineral supplements were the most frequently used categories. Women and those with more education were taking more OTC drugs. OTC use was not related to age, but the use of analgesics decreased with age while laxative use increased with age. Unlike prescription drug use, overall OTC drug use was not associated with health services utilization.

Over-the-counter medication use in an older rural community: the MoVIES Project. Publishing Authors By Initials

For similar chemical actions and uses: pharmacologic actions: physiological effects of drugs: growth substances: micronutrients: vitamins research abstracts see: chemical actions and uses: pharmacologic actions: physiological effects of drugs: growth substances: micronutrients: vitamins research

PUBMED ID PMID:

MEDLINE DATE:

Over-the-counter medication use in an older rural community: the MoVIES Project. Journal Published:

PUBLICATION TYPE: Research Support, U.S. Gov't,

Journal: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

VOLUME: 45

Page Numbers: 158-65

Journal Abbreviation: J Am Geriatr Soc

ISSN: 0002-8614

DAY: 10

MONTH: Feb

YEAR: 1997

Over-the-counter medication use in an older rural community: the MoVIES Project. Information

Number of References:

LANGUAGE: eng

NlmUniqueID: 7503062

Over-the-counter medication use in an older rural community: the MoVIES Project. Keywords Mesh Terms:

KEYWORDS: Vitamins

MESH TERMS: therapeutic use

Chemical & Substance for Abstract: Over-the-counter medication use in an older rural community: the MoVIES Project. Information

Substance Name: Vitamins

Registry Number: 0

Grant and Affiliation Information for Over-the-counter medication use in an older rural community: the MoVIES Project.

AFFILIATION: School of Pharmacy, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.

Country: UNITED STATES

AGENCY: United States NIA

GRANT: AG07562

ACRONYM: AG

MEDLINETA: J Am Geriatr Soc

REFSOURCE:

DATABASENAME:

ACCESSION NUMBER:

Number Hits: 0

Over-the-counter medication use in an older rural community: the MoVIES Project Related Publications

• A SURVEY OF PARASITIC INFECTION IN TWO COMMUNITIES IN JAMAICA AND A DRUG TRIAL ON POSITIVE CASES.
• Changes in gene expression during pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy of chronic hepatitis C virus distinguish responders from nonresponders to antiviral therapy.
• Characteristics of rural homebound older adults: a community-based study.
• Chromium(III) Triggers the DNA-Damaged Checkpoint of the Cell Cycle and Induces a Functional Increase of 4E-BP.
• Dementia patient suffering and caregiver depression.
• FURTHER STUDIES ON THE ANTIHELMINTHIC DRUG CI-416.
• Over-the-counter medication use in an older rural community: the MoVIES Project.
• Phase II study of adriamycin (NSC-123127) in patients with metastatic melanoma.
• Selective decrease in hepatitis C virus-specific immunity among African Americans and outcome of antiviral therapy.
• Structural, kinetic, and theoretical studies on models of the zinc-containing phosphodiesterase active center: medium-dependent reaction mechanisms.
• THE MICROBIOLOGY OF DISEASES IN JAMAICAN CHILDREN.
• The treatment of (intestinal amoebiasis) with a single dose of humatin.
• Validation of UV spectrophotometric and nonaqueous titration methods for the determination of carvedilol in pharmaceutical formulations.
• [Not Available.]