title: [Observational study on drug spending in the immigrant and the indigenous population in the Lleida (Catalonia) health region].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether there are differences in drug spending between immigrant and Spanish-born populations and to assess whether drug consumption is associated with living environment (urban/rural).
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lleida Health Region (LHR).
  
  
  METHODS
  22,847 immigrants and 174,768 native born subjects, aged 15 to 64 years, residing in the LHR.
  
  
  METHODS
  Drug spending during the year 2007, demographical variables, region of origin and residence area (urban/rural).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Native-born subjects spent more in all therapeutic drug groups than immigrants. In men, the relative risk ratio (RRR) of being in the highest quartile of expenditure was 3.2 (95% CI: 2.96-3.44) for native born versus immigrant and in women it was 2.1 (95% CI: 1.97-2.27). Immigrants from eastern Europe had the lowest risk of being in the highest quartile of expenditure, with statistically significant differences. Residents in the rural environment were more likely to have a higher pharmaceutical consumption than residents in the urban environment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Inequalities in drug spending were observed between immigrants and native born subjects. Further studies, either qualitative or mixed, should explore which factors are related to these differences and propose strategies addressed to reducing them.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Ciències Mèdiques Bàsiques, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, España. montse.rue@cmb.udl.cat
authors.forename: Montse
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rué
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bosch
authors.forename: María-Catalina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Serna
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Soler-González
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Galván
authors.forename: Inés
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cruz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000191:economics*; D013030:Spain; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D055553:Prescription Drugs
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