Self-reported medicine use among 11- to 15-year-old girls and boys in Denmark 1988

Abstract

Aims: To describe the self-reported medicine use for common health complaints among 11 - 15-year-olds in Denmark during a ten year period, 1988 - 1998. The paper focuses on medicine for headache, stomach ache, cough, cold, nervousness, and difficulties in getting to sleep. Methods: Four cross-sectional surveys of 11 - 15-year-old students in random samples of schools in Denmark, conducted in 1988 (n=1,671), 1991 (n=1,860), 1994 (n=4,046) and 1998 (n=5,205). The surveys were similar with regard to sampling and data collection. Data were collected by self-administered questionnaires in the classroom. Results: A large proportion of 11 - 15-year-olds reported medicine use during the past month. It was most common to take medicines for headache (used by 55% of 15-year-old girls and 36% of 15-year-old boys in 1998) and stomach ache (33% among 15-year-old girls in 1998). Pain reliever use was higher among girls than boys and this sex difference increased with age. There was an upward trend in reported medicine use from 1988 to 1998, in particular regarding medicine for stomach-ache among 13- and 15-year-old girls. A large proportion of girls were frequent users of medicine for headache, stomach-ache, and sleeping difficulties. Conclusion: A high proportion of 11 - 15-year-old girls and boys reported medicine use in relation to common health complaints. The proportion of users increased during the past decade. It is suggested that more information about medicine be built into health education programs in the future.

Keywords

adolescent age trends children Denmark drug utilisation medicine use sex differences survey symptom prevalence time trends.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bonati M. Epidemiological evaluation of drug use in children. J Clin Pharmacol 1994; 34: 300 - 5.

Sanz EJ Drug use in non-hospitalized children. Pharmaceutisch Weekblad [Sci], ed. 1992;14:1 - 8.

MEFA: Facts 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998. Copenhagen 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998.

Aarø LE , Wold B. , Kannas L. , Rimpelä M. Health behaviour in Schoolchildren. A WHO cross national survey. Health Promotion 1986; 1: 17 - 33.

Wold B. Health behaviour in school-aged children. Research protocol for the 1993-94 study. Bergen: University of Bergen, Research Center for Health promotion; 1994.

Currie C , Settertobulte W , Hurrelman K , Smith R , Todd J , editors. Health and health behaviour among young people. Copenhagen: World Health Organization; 2000.

Rasmussen M. , Due P. , Holstein BE Skolebørnsundersøgelsen 1998 [The School Children Survey 1998]. Copenhagen: The Committee for Health Education; 2000.

Agresti A. Categorical Data Analysis. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1990.

Mulvad M. , Jensen TS , Rasmussen H. Unge i profil. [Adolescents in profile]. Nordjyllands Amt, Planlægningsog Udviklingskontoret Aalborg; 1996.

10.

Nielsen GA Gymnasie- og hf-elevers sundhedsvaner og livsstil 1996/97. [High school pupils' health habits and life style]. DIKE, Copenhagen; 1998.

11.

Barea LM , Rotta NT , Stein A. , Barros HMT , Tannhauser M.

Analgesic use for headache treatment by schoolchildren of Southern Brazil. Pharmacol

Drug Safety 1997; 6: 359-66.

12.

Dengler R. , Roberts HJ Adolescents' use of prescribed drugs and over-the-counter preparations . J Public Health Med 1996; 18 (4): 437 - 42.

13.

Lapeyre-Mestre M. , Lebret-Bories E. , Charlet JP , Montastruc JL , Montastruc P. Consommation de médicaments dans une population de sujets d'âge scolaire. Therapie 1991; 46: 49 - 53.

14.

Maison P. , Guillemot D. , Vauzelle-Kervroëdan F. , Balkau B. , Sermet C. , Thibult N. , Eschwège E. Trends in aspirin, paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use in children between 1981 and 1992 in France. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1998; 54: 659 - 644.

Self-reported medicine use among 11- to 15-year-old girls and boys in Denmark 1988 - 1998

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References