ArticleBMJ open2017
Socioeconomic differences in self-medication among middle-aged and older people: data from the China health and retirement longitudinal study.
Article in BMJ open, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers.
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Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed, 53 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prescription-only medicine requests by clients: Insights from community pharmacies.Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy · 2026Article
- Prevalence and Associated Factors of Self-Medication Among Adults With Hypertension in Central Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Study.International journal of hypertension · 2026Article
- Knowledge, attitude, and self-medication practices among healthcare students from the metropolitan City of South India.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Over-the-counter drug consumption and related factors, evidence from the European Health Interview Survey.Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice · 2025Article
- The use of antibiotics during pregnancy: A cross-sectional study of knowledge, attitude, and practices among antenatal care attendees in Northern Ghana.Health science reports · 2024Article
- Prevalence, practice, determinants and adverse effects of self-medication among young people living in a suburban community of Ekiti, Nigeria: A community-based cross-sectional study.SAGE open medicine · 2024Article
- Impact of pension income on healthcare utilization of older adults in rural China.International journal for equity in health · 2023Article
- Elevating Safe Use of Over-The-Counter Medications in Older Adults: A Narrative Review of Pharmacy Involved Interventions and Recommendations for Improvement.Drugs & aging · 2023Review
- Relationship between the Health Literacy and Self-Medication Behavior of Primary Health Care Clientele in the Hail Region, Saudi Arabia: Implications for Public Health.European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education · 2023Article
- Self-perceived memory is negatively associated with chronic disease awareness: Evidence from blood biomarker data.SSM - population health · 2023Article
- Self-Medication Practices, Use of Brand-Name, and Over-the-Counter Medicines by Peruvian Older Adults.Canadian geriatrics journal : CGJ · 2023Article
- Article
- Over-the-Counter Medication Use among Parents in Saudi Arabia.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- The self-medication behaviors of residents and the factors related to the consideration of drug efficacy and safety-A cross-sectional study in China.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2023Article
- Consumption of Non-Prescribed Drugs in Portugal During the Pandemic in 2021.International journal of public health · 2023Observational
- Factors associated with the incidence and the expenditure of self-medication among middle-aged and older adults in China: A cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- Explanation of Socio-economic Inequality in Medicine Use: A Cross-sectional Analysis from Iran.Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR · 2022Article
- Improving access to medicines: lessons from 10 years of drug reforms in China, 2009-2020.BMJ global health · 2022Article
- Self-medication and its typology in Chinese elderly population: A cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
- Factors Contributing to Self-Medication and Consumption of Non-Prescribed Drugs in Portugal.International journal of public health · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesSelf-medication with over-the-counter medicines (OTCs) and prescription-only medicines (POMs) are both pervasive in China, although the latter is an inappropriate practice. We examined the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and self-medication with OTCs versus POMs.
methodsMultivariate logistic regressions based on the Andersen framework were estimated using a subsample of respondents aged 45 years and over from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study collected between 2011 and 2013 (n=23 699). As dependent variables, we used OTC and POM consumption without a medical prescription. SES was operationalised by household income per capita and education. Control variables included health indicators, demographic characteristics, and health behaviours.
resultsIn our study sample, 32.69% and 15.02% of people aged 45 years and over had self-medicated with OTCs and POMs in the 4 weeks before the survey, respectively. OTC use by income exhibited an inverse U shape. Respondents from middle income groups were more likely to self-medicate with OTCs compared with those from the lowest and highest income groups. In contrast, respondents from the lowest income group were more inclined to self-medicate with POMs. There was a clear trend towards more self-medication with OTCs, but not POMs, among those with higher educational attainment.
conclusionPeople with low income tended to rely on self-medication with POMs for treatment, which is risky and of low quality. A health education programme for older people, particularly those living in low-income households, aimed at improving the quality of self-medication behaviour is warranted. Urgent measures are needed to address the issue of easy access to POMs at community pharmacies, and to improve access to formal medical care among the low-income population.
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