[A population-based study on cost-related underuse of medicines by the elderly in Greater Metropolitan Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil].
The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of cost-related underuse of medicines and associated factors in a representative sample of 1,134 elderly individuals in Greater Metropolitan Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Prevalence of cost-related underuse was 12.9%. After adjustments in the multivariate model, cost-related underuse was higher in individuals with income less than twice the minimum wage (PR = 0.57; 95%CI: 0.34-0.97), without health plan coverage (PR = 0.68; CI95%: 0.46-0.99), with low frequencies of physician-patient dialogue concerning health/treatment (rarely/never, PR = 1.79; 95%CI: 1.10-2.90), with fair to poor self-rated health (PR = 1.66; 95%CI: 0.95-2.90 and PR = 2.49; 95%CI: 1.38-4.48, respectively), and with multiple comorbidities (one, PR = 2.51; 95%CI: 0.99-6.35; two, PR = 3.51; 95%CI: 1.40-8.72 and three or more, PR = 4.52; 95%CI: 1.79-11.41). Our results suggest adherence problems within this population due to a communication gap between seniors and physicians on treatment-related aspects and to the lack of health plan coverage. Especially worrisome is the high risk of cost-related underuse among elderly with poor health.
Luz
Tatiana Chama Borges
TC
Núcleo de Estudos em Saúde Pública e Envelhecimento, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brasil. tatianachama@cpqrr.fiocruz.br
de Loyola Filho
Antônio Ignácio
AI
Lima-Costa
Maria Fernanda
MF
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population; D016903:Drug Monitoring