[Representation of medical drugs and factors involved in their consumption in the elderly].
The purpose of this paper is to introduce a research on the relationship that an aging person establishes with medical drugs. From data on the social perception of elderly people about health and medication, we have constructed a questionnaire which has been submitted to a sample of 94 elderly persons aged from 64 to 89 years. The factorial analysis brought into perspective five dimensions related to medication: social, dependency, normative, coping, feelings of security. Crossing these dimensions with the socio-demographic and medical variables allowed to identify some decisive factors for medical drug consumption. The results of the research show the complexity of medical drug consumption which is influenced by multiple variables. Furthermore the perception of medical drugs remains somewhat ambiguous; it is sometimes perceived as remedy and sometimes as poison. It is no longer considered a decisive factor for good health while aging.
Hauchard
Delphine
D
IUT de l'Université du Havre. Hauchard.delphine@wanadoo.fr
Costalat-Founeau
Anne-Marie
AM
Picot
Marie-Christine
MC
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans