Gender differences in predictors of self-medication with tranquillizers and sleeping pills: Results of the population-based study in Serbia
Razlike med Spoloma pri Kazalnikih Samozdravljenja s Pomirjevali in Zdravili za Spanje: Rezultati Populacijske Študije v Srbiji
GENDER_DIFFERENCES_IN_PUB_2020.pdf (284.0Kb)
Tripković, Katica
Šantrić Milićević, Milena
Odalović, Marina
Previous studies among the Serbian population concluded that the trend of self-medication with tranquillizers and sleeping pills requires deeper study. The objective is to identify gender differences in socio-demographic, health, and health service predictors of self-medication with tranquillizers and sleeping pills in a Serbian population of 15 years old and above. This was a population-based, cross-sectional study. Data was extracted from the most recently available results of the Serbian National Health Survey of 2013. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine independent self-medication predictors. The study included 14,623 participants, of which 51.77% were female. While 5.6% of the females reported self-medication with tranquillizers and sleeping pills, only 2.2% of males reported such practice (p<0.001). The presence of chronic disease, stress, and physical pain in the last month before the interview was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of self-...medication with observed drugs in both genders. Age was the most significant socio-demographic predictor of self-medication in females, while in males it was unemployment. Women of 55-65 years of age showed a greater risk from self-medication with tranquillizers and sleeping pills in comparison to women of 15-24 years of age (aOR=4.75, 95% CI: 1.83-12.33). Unemployed males showed a greater tendency for such practice in comparison to employed (aOR=1.86, 95% CI: 1.19-2.91). The findings highlighted predictors of self-medication with tranquillizers and sleeping pills and important differences between genders, which may contribute to the design of gender-sensitive surveillance, identification, and the prevention of such undesirable practices through evidence-based and appropriately tailored public health actions.
gender / predictors / prevalence / self-medication / tranquillizers and sleeping pills / unmet needs
Zdravstveno Varstvo, 2020, 59, 1, 47-56
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DOI: 10.2478/sjph-2020-0007