title: Utilization of self-medication and prescription drugs among 15-year-old children from the German GINIplus birth cohort.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective was to analyse paediatric drug utilization in relation to self-medication, prescription drugs, and the most reported therapeutic drug categories.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected for 3013 children on their utilization of drugs (4-week prevalence) from a German birth cohort study (GINIplus, 15-year follow-up) using a self-administered questionnaire. The drugs were grouped into over-the-counter drugs and prescription drugs, and were classified according to the anatomical therapeutic chemical classification system. Predictors were analysed using a logistic regression model with four independent variables (gender, study area, maternal education, and parental income).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Some 69% of the reported 2489 drugs were over-the-counter drugs, and 31% were prescription drugs. The 4-week prevalence for using any type of drug was 41.0%. Drug categories with high prevalence rates of use were antiinflammatory drugs (10.3%), analgesics (7.1%), and antiallergics (5.0%). Factors associated with higher use of over-the-counter drugs were female gender (OR = 1.56, p < 0.0001) and higher maternal education (OR = 1.60, p = 0.0021; university degree vs. secondary high school). Maternal education was correlated with the use of prescribed or self-medicated antiallergics (positive association) and contraceptives (negative association). The use of antibiotics, methylphenidate, and drugs for thyroid therapy was associated with lower parental income.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of over-the-counter drugs in 15-year-old children from the GINIplus birth cohort is very common and is predicted by socioeconomic factors such as maternal education. This has to be considered by health care managers when deciding about the exclusion of over-the-counter drugs (normally used for self-medication) from reimbursement or the deregulation of drug sales.
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.|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.affiliation: Department of International Health, School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brand
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Epidemiology I, Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heinrich
authors.affiliation: Marien-Hospital Wesel, Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, Wesel, Germany.
authors.forename: Dietrich
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berdel
authors.affiliation: Marien-Hospital Wesel, Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, Wesel, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: von Berg
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Health Economics and Health Care Management, Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Silke Britta
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Wolfenstetter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015995:Prevalence; D012651:Self Medication / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D055553:Prescription Drugs
keywords: Germany; adolescent; drug utilization; pharmacoepidemiology; prescription drugs; self-medication; socioeconomic factors