Sex--differences on self-medication in Spain

Abstract

Purpose: This study mainly aimed at describing the factors associated with self-medicated consumption of drugs in Spain from a gender perspective.

Methods: Descriptive, cross-sectional study covering the Spanish adult population, using data drawn from the 2006 and 2007 Spanish National Health Survey (SNHS). A total of 20,738 subjects were analyzed. The independent variables were sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health-related, and the dependent variable was self-medicated drug use. Using logistic multivariate regression models we have estimated the independent effect of each of these variables on the self-medicated consumption. Two models were generated, one for female and one for male.

Results: The 20.17% of all Spaniards indulge in self-medication. The prevalence of self-medication was 16.93% (2715) for women and 14.46% (1469) for men (p<0.05). The variables that were independently and significantly associated with a greater probability of self-medicated consumption in women were: lower age; consumption of alcohol; smoking habit. Among men, self-medication is associated with nationality (immigrants were more likely to self-medicate), income, and alcohol consumption.

Conclusions: The prevalence of self-medicated drug use is higher in women than men. In our population, the influence of unhealthy lifestyles, such as alcohol and tobacco consumption, are related to a higher likelihood of self-medication.