title: [Impact benzodiazepine dependence on the use of health services: senior' health study].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prolonged use of benzodiazepines increases the risk of addiction. The impact of this disease on the use of health services by older adults is not known.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Examine the association between benzodiazepine dependence and use of health services by older adults in Quebec. Methodology. The data comes from a survey conducted in Quebec in 2005-2006 with a representative sample of 707 elderly benzodiazepine consumption in the community. Benzodiazepine dependence was defined according to the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Revised Edition. The use of health services as measured by the incidence of consultations with health professionals over a period of 12 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seniors have consumed an average daily dose of 6.1 (± 7.6) mg diazepam equivalent to an average of 205 (± 130) days. The prevalence of benzodiazepine dependence has been estimated at 9.5%. This dependence increases the likelihood of consulting a specialist (odds ratio (OR) = 3.42; confidence interval 95% (CI 95%) = 1.38 to 8.50). Visits to other health professionals frontline were not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest that the proportion of seniors who become addicted to benzodiazepines and do not use health services for this condition is important. There is a need to develop programs to improve the quality of benzodiazepine use in this population.
authors.affiliation: Faculté de pharmacie, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Pamphile-Gervais
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Nkogho Mengue
authors.forename: Belkacem
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Abdous
authors.forename: Djamal
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berbiche
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Préville
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Voyer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011792:Quebec; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014600:Utilization Review / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D001569:Benzodiazepines
keywords: Quebec; benzodiazepine dependence; seniors; use of health services