© 1992 The Gerontological Society of America
Use of Medications by Persons 65 and Over: Data From the Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly
1 Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health, The University of Iowa
2 National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health
3 College of Pharmacy, The University of Illinois at Chicago
4 Division of Geriatric Medicine and Center for Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University Medical Center and School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
5 Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and The Channing Laboratory, Harvard Medical School
6 Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine
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Abstract |
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Data were analyzed from household interviews of four population-based cohorts comprising the Established Populations for Epidemiologic studies of the Elderly to estimate the prevalence of prescription and nonprescription medication use among community-living elderly and to examine sociodemographic and health factors related to medication use. Prescription drugs were used by 60–68% of men and 68–78% of women. Nonprescription drugs were used by 52–68% of men and 64–76% of women. Use of prescription medications generally increased with age although use of nonprescription drugs was not associated with age. Men and women who smoked or used alcohol in the preceding year frequently took medications. Those who reported more depressive symptoms, impairments in physical functioning, hospitalizations, and had poorer self-perceived health status were most likely to take medications. However, 10–29% of respondents with fair or poor self-perceived health took no prescription medications, and 3–13% took neither prescription nor nonprescription medications. While further research appears warranted into potential overmedication of elders, particularly those with many depressive symptoms, these data suggest that studies of potential underuse among elders with poor health are equally important.
Received for publication September 16, 1991. Accepted for publication January 30, 1992.
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