[The consumption of drugs and natural remedies in the older population of a rural area].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the knowledge about medical treatment on people with more than 70 years old, specifically, the understanding, reason for prescription and dosage. To describe the use of natural remedies in the rural environment. To correlate the medication and the natural remedies consumption with health's self-perception.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Health Center of Santa Eugènia de Berga. Barcelona.


METHODS
Covered people aged 70 or more, not in an institution, selected by systematic sampling obtained from an updated age and sex register.


METHODS
A standard questionnaire was used, gathering aspects about medicine and natural remedies consumption and health's self-perception.


RESULTS
The average of medicines was 3.08 (SD 2.5) for person. Therapeutics groups most prevalent were cardiovascular and nervous system drugs. The patients remembered correctly the reason of the prescription of the 77% of the medicines and the dosage of the 85%. The 25% of patients needed assistance of some family for to take the medication. We have found statistical significance between health's self-perception and the number of consumed drugs. The 47% of aged population used natural remedies.


CONCLUSIONS
The knowledge of medical treatment of our elderly people is satisfactory. We detect in our study a high rate of polymedication. It is necessary, if possible, to rationalize and to reduce the number of drugs. It is useful to revise and to update periodically the elderly people medication. The natural remedies is included on the people's pharmacology and its use is important.
Gri
E
E
Area Básica de Salud Santa Eugènia de Berga, Institut Català de la Salut, Barcelona.
Vázquez
F
F
Barroso
A
A
Cantero
M
M
Monjo
M
M
Juncosa
S
S
Planes
A
A
Ribas
A
A
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012649:Self Concept; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
Consumo de medicamentos y remedios naturales en la población anciana de un área rural.