[Common health disorders: self-care and self-medication].
METHODS
Community level. "Santa María de Benquerencia" Health District, Toledo.


METHODS
People over 15, chosen by random sampling from the municipal census, who stated that they had suffered some health disorder over the previous fortnight.


RESULTS
212 surveys were accepted as valid (average age 42.75, 51.89% male and 48.11% female). 73% had suffered one of the disorders included in the survey during the previous fortnight. The commonest response was self-medication (39.84%), especially when dealing with pain and Pyrosis. Pyrazolones and Salicylates were the most commonly used drugs. The instructions were only read in 48.64% of cases. No measure was adopted in 34.56% of the disorders. The doctor was only consulted in 6.86% of cases. Both these responses were more common in men and young people. Non-pharmacological self-care was adopted in 30.07% of cases. This was generally of a dietetic or physical nature and was commoner in women and elderly people.


CONCLUSIONS
Self-care, whether pharmacological or not, is the most common response to the perception of some symptom. These practices (especially self-medication because of its possible attendant problems) should be directed and used as one tool more in health care.
Tejedor
N
N
Centro de Salud Santa María de Benquerencia, Unidad Docente de Medicina de Familia y Comunitaria, Toledo.
Zafra
E
E
Sánchez del Viso
Y
Y
López Muñoz
A
A
Vidal
C
C
López de Castro
F
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D004493:Education; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012648:Self Care; D012651:Self Medication; D012737:Sex Factors; D013030:Spain
Trastornos comunes de salud: autocuidado y automedicación.