Predictors of medication use during pregnancy: a cohort study.

Background Sociodemographic characteristics and health behaviours are associated with medication use in pregnancy, but it is unclear if they are independent predictors because women´s health status has hardly been accounted for. We aimed to identify predictors of use of medications and of iron/foli...

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Main Authors: Federica Pisa, Federico Romanese, Francesca Palese, Fabio Barbone
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Milano University Press 2018-06-01
Series:Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Public Health
Online Access:https://ebph.it/article/view/12926
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author Federica Pisa
Federico Romanese
Francesca Palese
Fabio Barbone
author_facet Federica Pisa
Federico Romanese
Francesca Palese
Fabio Barbone
author_sort Federica Pisa
collection DOAJ
description Background Sociodemographic characteristics and health behaviours are associated with medication use in pregnancy, but it is unclear if they are independent predictors because women´s health status has hardly been accounted for. We aimed to identify predictors of use of medications and of iron/folic acid. Methods This cohort included pregnant women recruited in a prenatal clinic in Trieste, Italy, from 2007 to 2009. Dispensations were obtained from the regional outpatient dispensation database through record linkage. We calculated the Odds Ratio (OR), with 95% confidence interval (95%CI), of ≥ 1 dispensation of (a) any medication and (b) iron/folic acid, using unconditional logistic regression. The final model adjusted for age, partner education, housing size, comorbidities.   Findings Of 767 women, 70.5% had ≥ 1 dispensation of any medication and 46.1% of iron/folic acid. Use of any medication was predicted by immigrant status of the woman (OR 1.21; 95%CI 0.57–2.53) or of her partner (1.51; 0.67–3.40), ≤ high school degree of the woman (1.11; 0.61–2.03) or of her partner (1.21; 0.75–1.95), unemployment (1.47; 0.72–2.98), smoking (1.25; 0.65–2.40), alcohol consumption (≥5 drinks/week: 2.78; 1.78–4.34), and obesity (1.33; 0.59–2.99). Use of iron and/or folic acid was predicted by ≤ high school degree (0.65; 0.40–1.08), smoking (0.80: 0.47–1.37), and obesity (0.62; 0.31–1.25). Discussion In this cohort, characteristics including education, immigrant and employment status, smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity independently predicted medication use. Interventions to promote safe use of medications should carefully consider women´s characteristics.
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spelling doaj-art-3fc39d558f784bebb990f7734b5ea91c2025-08-20T03:10:03ZengMilano University PressEpidemiology, Biostatistics and Public Health2282-09302018-06-0115210.2427/1292611167Predictors of medication use during pregnancy: a cohort study.Federica Pisa0Federico Romanese1Francesca Palese2Fabio Barbone31. Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS GmbH Department Clinical Epidemiology Unit Drug Safety Germany 2. Institute of Hygiene and Clinical Epidemiology, University Hospital of Udine, Udine, ItalyDepartment of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, ItalyDepartment of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy1. Institute for Maternal and Child Health - IRCCS “Burlo Garofolo”, Trieste, Italy. 2. Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, ItalyBackground Sociodemographic characteristics and health behaviours are associated with medication use in pregnancy, but it is unclear if they are independent predictors because women´s health status has hardly been accounted for. We aimed to identify predictors of use of medications and of iron/folic acid. Methods This cohort included pregnant women recruited in a prenatal clinic in Trieste, Italy, from 2007 to 2009. Dispensations were obtained from the regional outpatient dispensation database through record linkage. We calculated the Odds Ratio (OR), with 95% confidence interval (95%CI), of ≥ 1 dispensation of (a) any medication and (b) iron/folic acid, using unconditional logistic regression. The final model adjusted for age, partner education, housing size, comorbidities.   Findings Of 767 women, 70.5% had ≥ 1 dispensation of any medication and 46.1% of iron/folic acid. Use of any medication was predicted by immigrant status of the woman (OR 1.21; 95%CI 0.57–2.53) or of her partner (1.51; 0.67–3.40), ≤ high school degree of the woman (1.11; 0.61–2.03) or of her partner (1.21; 0.75–1.95), unemployment (1.47; 0.72–2.98), smoking (1.25; 0.65–2.40), alcohol consumption (≥5 drinks/week: 2.78; 1.78–4.34), and obesity (1.33; 0.59–2.99). Use of iron and/or folic acid was predicted by ≤ high school degree (0.65; 0.40–1.08), smoking (0.80: 0.47–1.37), and obesity (0.62; 0.31–1.25). Discussion In this cohort, characteristics including education, immigrant and employment status, smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity independently predicted medication use. Interventions to promote safe use of medications should carefully consider women´s characteristics.https://ebph.it/article/view/12926
spellingShingle Federica Pisa
Federico Romanese
Francesca Palese
Fabio Barbone
Predictors of medication use during pregnancy: a cohort study.
Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Public Health
title Predictors of medication use during pregnancy: a cohort study.
title_full Predictors of medication use during pregnancy: a cohort study.
title_fullStr Predictors of medication use during pregnancy: a cohort study.
title_full_unstemmed Predictors of medication use during pregnancy: a cohort study.
title_short Predictors of medication use during pregnancy: a cohort study.
title_sort predictors of medication use during pregnancy a cohort study
url https://ebph.it/article/view/12926
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AT francescapalese predictorsofmedicationuseduringpregnancyacohortstudy
AT fabiobarbone predictorsofmedicationuseduringpregnancyacohortstudy