Socioeconomic determinants of psychotropic drug utilisation among elderly: a national population-based cross-sectional study.
BACKGROUND
Psychotropic drugs are commonly utilised among the elderly. This study aimed to analyse whether two socioeconomic determinants - income and marital status - are associated with differences in utilisation of psychotropic drugs and potentially inappropriate psychotropic drugs among elderly in Sweden.


METHODS
All individuals aged 75 years and older who had purchased a psychotropic drug in Sweden during 2006 were included (68.7% women, n = 384712). Data was collected from national individual-based registers. Outcome measures were utilisation of three or more psychotropic drugs and utilisation of potentially inappropriate psychotropic drugs, as classified by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare.


RESULTS
Individuals with low income were more likely to utilise three or more psychotropic drugs compared to those with high income; adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.12 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10-1.14). The non-married had a higher probability for utilising three or more psychotropic drugs compared to the married (aOR 1.22; CI 1.20-1.25). The highest probability was observed among the divorced and the never married. Potentially inappropriate psychotropic drugs were more common among individuals with low compared to high income (aOR 1.14; CI 1.13-1.16). Compared to the married, potentially inappropriate psychotropic drug utilisation occurred more commonly among the non-married (aOR 1.08; CI 1.06-1.10). The never married and the divorced had the highest probability.


CONCLUSIONS
There was an association between socioeconomic determinants and psychotropic drug utilisation. The probability for utilising potentially inappropriate psychotropics was higher among individuals with low income and among the non-married.
Lesén
Eva
E
Nordic School of Public Health (NHV), Box 121 33, 402 42 Gothenburg, Sweden. eva.lesen@nhv.se
Andersson
Karolina
K
Petzold
Max
M
Carlsten
Anders
A
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D016017:Odds Ratio; D055553:Prescription Drugs; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012042:Registries; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013548:Sweden
D055553:Prescription Drugs; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs