title: Utilization and costs of conventional and alternative pharmaceuticals in children: results from the German GINIplus and LISAplus birth cohort studies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The socioeconomic determinants for drug utilization, especially in children, have not been investigated sufficiently so far. The study's aim was the estimation of prevalences and determinants of conventional, homeopathic and phytotherapeutic drugs and expenditures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based data on drug utilization of 3,642 children in two German birth cohorts (GINIplus and LISAplus, 10-year follow-up) were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. For analysis, the reported drugs (use within the last four weeks) were classified into the therapeutic categories of 'conventional medicine', 'homeopathy', 'phytotherapy' and 'others'. Drug costs were estimated using pharmaceutical identification numbers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 42.3% of the children reported drug use; 24.1% of the drugs were homeopathic and 11.5% were phytotherapeutic. The proportion of children who took at least one homeopathic remedy was 14.3%. Drugs prescribed by physicians were dominated by conventional medicine (76.5%), whereas in non-prescribed drugs, both homeopathy and conventional medicine accounted for 37% each. Boys (OR = 0.78) used less homeopathy than girls. Income showed only a weak influence. Education had a strong effect on the use of phytotherapy such that children of mothers with higher school education (>10 years vs. <10 years) used more phytotherapy (OR = 2.01). If out-of-pocket payments arose (n = 613), the mean was €20. On average, total drug expenditures summed up to €39 in 4 weeks for drug users if only clearly identifiable prices for drugs were considered (58% of all data).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Utilization of homeopathy is common in children from the analyzed cohort. User profiles of homeopathy and phytotherapy differ from each other and should be analyzed separately.
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Health Economics and Health Care Management, Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Italia
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Batscheider
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heinrich
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wenig
authors.forename: Carl Peter
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Sibylle
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koletzko
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lehmann
authors.forename: Olf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Herbarth
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: von Berg
authors.forename: Dietrich
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berdel
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schaaf
authors.forename: Silke B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Wolfenstetter
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006705:Homeopathy / Q000191:economics* / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics*; D010593:Pharmaceutical Services / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations