Use of analgesics in adults with pain complaints: prevalence and associated factors, Turkey.
OBJECTIVE
Use of analgesics has been increasingly recognized as a major public health issue with important consequences in Turkey. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence and patterns of analgesics usage and associated factors in adults with pain complaints.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted in 15 cities selected from five demographic regions in Turkey. The study sample population comprised 1.909 adults 18-65 age groups suffering from pain. The sampling method was multi-step stratified weighted quota-adjusted sampling. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured survey questionnaire consisting of 28 questions. Odds ratios were produced by logistic regression analyses.


RESULTS
The prevalence of analgesic use was 73.1%, and it was higher in females (75.7%; p<0.05), in subjects 45-54 years (81.4%; p<0.05), in subjects in rural areas (74.6%; p<0.05), in subjects in northern region (84.3%; p<0.05), in illiterate subjects (79.1%; p>0.05), and in subjects of lower socioeconomic status (74.1%; p>0.05). One in ten of the participants used non-prescription analgesics. Non-prescription analgesics were more prevalent among the 55-65 age groups (18.1%; p<0.05), among female (11.6%; p>0.05), among the urban population (10.7%; p>0.05), and in subjects of lower middle socioeconomic status (13.2%; p<0.05). Logistic regression showed statistically significant ORs only for age groups, duration of education, socioeconomic status, and demographic regions (p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The results showed that the prevalence of analgesic use and prescription analgesic use is high in Turkey, and their use is related to sociodemographic characteristics.
Ozkan
Ozlem
O
Nursing Department, Kocaeli School of Health, Kocaeli University, Kocaeli, Turkey. ozlem.ozkan@kocaeli.edu.tr
Hamzaoglu
Onur
O
Erdine
Serdar
S
Balta
Ecehan
E
Domac
Mehmet
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003710:Demography; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004522:Educational Status; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
D000700:Analgesics; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs