Vanhaesebrouck A, Vuillermoz C, Robert S, Parizot I, Chauvin P. Who self-medicates? Results from structural equation modeling in the Greater Paris area, France.
PLoS One 2018;
13:e0208632. [PMID:
30557334 PMCID:
PMC6296538 DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0208632]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
Our study aimed to describe the prevalence of self-medication among the Paris adult population and to identify the factors associated with self-medication.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This cross-sectional study was based on data collected from the SIRS cohort (a French acronym for "Health, inequalities and social ruptures") in 2005 in the Paris metropolitan area using a face-to-face administration questionnaire among a representative sample of 3,023 French-speaking adults. Structural equation models were used to investigate the factors associated with self-medication in the overall population and according to income.
RESULTS
The prevalence of self-medication in the past four weeks was 53.5% in the Paris metropolitan area. Seven factors were directly associated with self-medication in the structural equation model. Self-medication was found more common among women, young people, in active employment or student, with a high income, but also among people with a health information seeking behavior, with a high daily mobility, and/or with a history of unmet healthcare needs due to economic reasons. When looking at these coefficients according to income, the association between self-medication and daily mobility appeared stronger in the bottom quartile of income whereas it was no longer significant in the rest of the survey population.
CONCLUSION
Self-medication is a frequent practice in the Paris metropolitan area. This study confirms the role of some factors found to be associated with self-medication in the literature such as age or gender and draws attention to other factors rarely explored such as daily mobility, especially among people with a low income, or health information seeking behavior.
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