title: [Use of medicines and lifestyles among Italian adolescents].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence, among adolescents, of medicine use for headache, stomachache, difficulties in getting to sleep and nervousness, and to analyse its association with common lifestyles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were taken from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC), a transnational study coordinated by the WHO. The data are collected through a self-administered questionnaire for investigating health and health behaviours.
  
  
  METHODS
  80 middle schools and 84 high schools were randomly selected from all Italian public and private schools. The questionnaire was filled out by a representative sample of 2667 (50.1% males) 13- and 15- year-old Italian students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medicine use for headache, stomachache, difficulties in getting to sleep and nervousness, socio-economic status, physical fitness, breakfast, smoking and drunkenness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Females are more likely than boys to use medicines for headache (41.2% vs 30%) and stomachache (29%vs 16.2%), but there are no gender differences regarding medicines for difficulties in getting to sleep and nervousness, which are used less frequently. The prevalence of the use of medicines does not increase with age. The related behaviours are: for headache, breakfast, smoking and drunkenness; for stomachache, physical fitness, breakfast and smoking; for difficulties in getting to sleep and nervousness, drunkenness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The extensive use of medicines in adolescence and its association with some lifestyles suggest the importance to develop education programmes for adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Psicologia dello Sviluppo e della Socializzazione, Università di Padova.
authors.forename: Magda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piccinini
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vieno
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santinello
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D006261:Headache / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007558:Italy; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012494:Sampling Studies; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives