Background: Previous studies among the Serbian population concluded that the trend of self-medication with tranquillizers and sleeping pills requires deeper study. The objective is to identify gender differences in socio-demographic, health, and health service predictors of self-medication with tranquillizers and sleeping pills in a Serbian population of 15 years old and above.
Methods: This was a population-based, cross-sectional study. Data was extracted from the most recently available results of the Serbian National Health Survey of 2013. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine independent self-medication predictors.
Results: The study included 14,623 participants, of which 51.77% were female. While 5.6% of the females reported self-medication with tranquillizers and sleeping pills, only 2.2% of males reported such practice (p<0.001). The presence of chronic disease, stress, and physical pain in the last month before the interview was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of self-medication with observed drugs in both genders. Age was the most significant socio-demographic predictor of self-medication in females, while in males it was unemployment. Women of 55-65 years of age showed a greater risk from self-medication with tranquillizers and sleeping pills in comparison to women of 15-24 years of age (aOR=4.75, 95% CI: 1.83-12.33). Unemployed males showed a greater tendency for such practice in comparison to employed (aOR=1.86, 95% CI: 1.19-2.91).
Conclusion: The findings highlighted predictors of self-medication with tranquillizers and sleeping pills and important differences between genders, which may contribute to the design of gender-sensitive surveillance, identification, and the prevention of such undesirable practices through evidence-based and appropriately tailored public health actions.
Ozadje: Prejšnje raziskave srbskega prebivalstva ugotavljajo, da trend samozdravljenja s pomirjevali in zdravili za spanje potrebuje poglobljeno raziskavo. Cilj: Prepoznati razlike med spoloma pri socialnih, demografskih, zdravstvenih kazalnikih ter kazalnikih zdravstvenih storitev samozdravljenja s pomirjevali in zdravili za spanje pri srbskem prebivalstvu od 15. leta starosti.
Metode: Medsektorska raziskava na podlagi prebivalstva. Podatki so bili zbrani iz najnovejših razpoložljivih rezultatov Srbske nacionalne zdravstvene ankete iz leta 2013. Za določanje neodvisnih kazalnikov samozdravljenja je bila uporabljena multivariantna logistična regresija.
Rezultati: Raziskava vključuje 14.623 sodelujočih, od tega 51,77 % žensk. Medtem ko je 5,6 % žensk poročalo o samozdravljenju s pomirjevali in zdravili za spanje, je le 2,2 % moških poročalo o tovrstni praksi (p < 0,001). Prisotnost kronične bolezni, stresa ali fizične bolečine v zadnjem mesecu pred intervjujem je značilno povezana s povečanjem verjetnosti samozdravljenja s proučevanimi zdravili pri obeh spolih. Starost je najbolj pomemben socialni in demografski kazalnik samozdravljenja pri ženskah, pri moških pa nezaposlenost. Ženske, stare med 55 in 65 let, izkazujejo večje tveganje za samozdravljenje s pomirjevali in zdravili za spanje v primerjavi z ženskami, starimi med 15 in 24 let (aOR = 4,75, 95 % CI: 1,83–12,33). Nezaposlene ženske so prikazale večjo naklonjenost tovrstni praksi v primerjavi z zaposlenimi (aOR = 1,86, 95 % CI: 1,19–2,91).
Zaključek: Ugotovitve izpostavljajo kazalnike samozdravljenja s pomirjevali in zdravili za spanje in pomembne razlike med spoloma, kar lahko prispeva k oblikovanju nadzora na podlagi spola ter prepoznavanje in preprečevanje tovrstnih neželenih praks z ustrezno prilagojenimi promocijami javnega zdravja.
Keywords: gender; predictors; prevalence; self-medication; tranquillizers and sleeping pills; unmet needs.
© 2020 Katica Tripković et al., published by Sciendo.