<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><sec><h3>Background</h3><p>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.</p></sec><sec><h3>Methods</h3><p>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.</p></sec><sec><h3>Results</h3><p>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&lt;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).</p></sec><sec><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>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.</p></sec></abstract>

BackgroundPrevious 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.MethodsThis 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.ResultsThe 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).ConclusionThe 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.

Gender Differences in Predictors of Self-Medication with Tranquillizers and Sleeping Pills: Results of the Population-Based Study in Serbia

Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Social Medicine

Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Social Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Legislation

Slovenian Journal of Public Health

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Razlike med Spoloma pri Kazalnikih Samozdravljenja s Pomirjevali in Zdravili za Spanje: Rezultati Populacijske Študije v Srbiji

BackgroundPrevious studies among the Serbian population concluded that the trend of self-medication with tranquillizers and sleeping pills requires deeper...

Gender Differences in Predictors of Self-Medication with Tranquillizers and Sleeping Pills: Results of the Population-Based Study in Serbia

Article Category: Original scientific article

Published Online: Dec 13, 2019

Page range: 47 - 56

Received: Mar 28, 2019

Accepted: Nov 13, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjph-2020-0007

Keywords
self-medication, unmet needs, tranquillizers and sleeping pills, predictors, prevalence, gender

© 2020 Katica Tripković et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Gender Differences in Predictors of Self-Medication with Tranquillizers and Sleeping Pills: Results of the Population-Based Study in Serbia

Article Category: Original scientific article

Published Online: Dec 13, 2019

Page range: 47 - 56

Received: Mar 28, 2019

Accepted: Nov 13, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjph-2020-0007

Keywordsself-medication, unmet needs, tranquillizers and sleeping pills, predictors, prevalence, gender

© 2020 Katica Tripković et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
self-medication, unmet needs, tranquillizers and sleeping pills, predictors, prevalence, gender