title: Factors associated with refraining from buying prescribed medications among older people in Europe.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the associations between refraining from buying prescribed medications and selected factors among older persons.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 4467 people aged 60-84 years from seven European countries answered a questionnaire (response rate 45.2%). Refraining from buying prescribed medications was measured with the question: 'Have you ever refrained from buying prescribed medication and care?'
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 11.9% of older people refrained from buying prescribed medications. The multiple regression analysis showed that ages 60-64 (odds ratio (OR) = 2.08; 95% confidence interval (95%CI): 1.38-3.13) and 65-69 (OR = 1.73; 95%CI: 1.16-2.57) years, experience of financial strain (OR = 1.59; 95%CI: 1.27-2.01), as well as exposure to abuse (OR = 1.64; 95%CI: 1.31-2.06) when taking into account country of participant were independently associated with refraining from buying medications, while an opposite association was observed for being male (OR = 0.72; 95%CI: 0.58-0.91).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study found that refraining from buying prescription medications is a problem among older people and identified a number of factors associated with this.
authors: School of Public Health, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia; Department of Health Management, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.
authors: Mindaugas
authors: M
authors: Stankunas
authors: Joaquim F J
authors: JF
authors: Soares
authors: Eija
authors: E
authors: Viitasara
authors: Maria Gabriella
authors: MG
authors: Melchiorre
authors: Örjan
authors: Ö
authors: Sundin
authors: Francisco
authors: F
authors: Torres-Gonzales
authors: Aurima
authors: A
authors: Stankuniene
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Avery
authors: Elisabeth
authors: E
authors: Ioannidi-Kapolou
authors: Henrique
authors: H
authors: Barros
authors: Jutta
authors: J
authors: Lindert
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016527:Drug Costs; D004552:Elder Abuse; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D005102:Health Expenditures; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000191:economics*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D055553:Prescription Drugs
keywords: aged; aged 60 and over; elder abuse; medication adherence