title: [Factors associated with low adherence to medication in older adults].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess factors associated with low adherence to pharmacotherapy in older adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional population-based study, with a representative sample of 1,593 individuals aged 60 or older, living in the urban area of Bagé, RS, Southern Brazil, in 2008. A multiple stage sampling model was used. The data were collected through individual household interviews. The analyses of the association between low adherence regarding pharmacotherapy, measured using the Brief Medication Questionnaire (BMQ), and demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, health, assistance and prescription factors were carried out applying Poisson regression model to assess crude and adjusted prevalence ratios, their respective 95% confidence intervals and p-value (Wald test).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Around 78.0% of individuals reported have taken at least one medication in the seven days prior to the interview. Of these, approximately one third (28.7%) were considered to have low adherence to the treatment. The factors significantly associated to low adherence to treatment were: age (65 to 74 years old), not having health insurance, having to purchase (totally or partially) their own medicines, having three or more morbidities, having functional disabilities and using three or more medicines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increased use of medicines by older adults, because of the high prevalence of non-communicable diseases in this group, and the access to the treatment need to be considered by health care professionals regarding fostering adherence to treatment, which increases therapeutic solutions and quality of life among older people.
authors.forename: Noemia Urruth Leão
authors.initials: NU
authors.lastname: Tavares
authors.forename: Andréa Dâmaso
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Bertoldi
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thumé
authors.forename: Luiz Augusto
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Facchini
authors.forename: Giovanny Vinícius Araújo de
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: França
authors.forename: Sotero Serrate
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Mengue
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016903:Drug Monitoring
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations