Factors associated with medicine use among children from The 2004 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth

Cohort Study

Edilson Almeida de Oliveira1; Marlos Rodrigues Domingues2; Iná S Santos2;

Aluísio J D Barros2; Andréa Dâmaso Bertoldi2

1Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos. São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil2Universidade Federal de Pelotas. Pelotas, RS, Brazil

andreadamaso.epi@gmail.com

BACKGROUND

• Medicine use among children is affected by many factors• Frequently, social aspects are even more

important than medical reasons

• Understanding medicine use patterns is one of the main goals of the pharmacoepidemiology• May help prevent irrational use

OBJECTIVE

• To investigate factors associated with general medicine use among children from the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort at the ages of three, 12 and 24 months

METHODS

• The 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort (Brazil) is the third population-based birth cohort to be conducted in the city• Previous cohorts in 1982 and 1993

• All children born during 2004 in the urban area of Pelotas were enrolled• City's hospitals were visited on a daily basis by a

trained staff of nutritionists in charge of interviews and anthropometric measurements

METHODS

• A prospective design was used to evaluate medicine use at the ages of three (N=3,985), 12 (N=3,907) and 24 months (N=3,868)

• Outcome: use of any medicine in the previous 15 days

• Independent variables included sociodemographic, perinatal, breastfeeding and maternal perception of child's health

• Unadjusted and adjusted analyses were performed using Poisson regression models • Following a hierarchical model• With robust adjustment for the variance

RESULTS

• From the beginning of the study to the 24 months visit, losses and refusals reached 6.5%

• The prevalence of medicine use ranged from 55-65% in the three periods

• In all follow-up visits, medicine use was positively related to maternal education

* Prevalence ratios and 95% Confidence Intervals ** Wald’s Linear Trend

RESULTS

• At 3 months, after controlling for confounders, highest use was observed among children…

RESULTS

•At 12 and 24 months, after controlling for confounders, highest use was observed among children…

CONCLUSIONS

• Different variables influenced medicine use among children in the first two years of life and these associations changed according to children's age

• Most of the associated factors were related to the mother• Some were related to ill health among the

children

FUNDING SOURCES

• Supported by– World Health Organization (WHO)– National Council for Scientific and Technologic

Development (CNPq)– National Program for Excellence Centers

(PRONEX)– Ministry of Health– Child’s Pastoral– Wellcome Trust