Drug use and associated factors in children living in poor areas.
OBJECTIVE
To describe drug use profile in children living in poor areas and associated factors.


METHODS
Population-based, cross-sectional study, including 1,382 children aged between four and 11 years. These children were selected by random sampling of 24 micro-areas, representative of the poorest segments of the population living in the city of Salvador, Northeastern Brazil, in 2006. The dependent variable was drug use in the 15 days preceding the surveys. A total of three groups of explanatory variables were considered: socioeconomic variables, child health status, and use of health services. Adjusted analysis used Poisson regression, following a hierarchical conceptual model.


RESULTS
Drug use prevalence in children was 48%. Female children showed higher drug use prevalence than males, 50.9% and 45.4%, respectively (p=0.004). Drug use prevalence decreased significantly with age (p<0.001) in both sexes. Most used pharmacological groups were: analgesics/antipyretics (25.5%), systemic antibiotics (6.5%), and anti-cough /expectorant drugs (6.2%). In the multivariate analysis, factors determining greater drug use were: age (four to five, six, seven to eight years); female sex; white mother; poorer health perception; interruption of activities due to health problems and health care, whether ill or not, in the last 15 days; drug spending in the last month; and medical visits in the last three months.


CONCLUSIONS
Drug use prevalence in the poor children studied was below that observed in other population-based studies in Brazil, yet similar to that of adults. The identification of groups most subject to excessive drug use may serve as the basis for strategies to promote their rational use.
Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Santo Antônio de Jesus, BA, Brasil. dejab@bol.com.br
Djanilson Barbosa
DB
Santos
Mauricio Lima
ML
Barreto
Helena Lutescia Luna
HL
Coelho
D000367:Age Factors; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011204:Poverty Areas; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012737:Sex Factors
D000700:Analgesics; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D055553:Prescription Drugs