Medication use by the ?quilombola? population: a survey in Southwestern Bahia, Brazil

OBJECTIVE To characterize the medication use by the quilombola population. METHODS A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted with 797 adult quilombola in Vitória da Conquista, BA, Northeastern Brazil, in 2011. Analysis of variance was used to compare means of drugs by subject, according to demographic, socioeconomic and health-related behavior variables. Prevalence, prevalence ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were estimated. Multivariate analysis was carried out using Poisson regression with robust variance. RESULTS The most widely consumed drugs by the population were those for the cardiovascular and nervous systems. Prevalence of medication use was 41.9%, significantly higher among women (50.3%) than men (31.9%). After adjusted analysis, medication use was associated with being female gender, being aged 60 or older, higher economic level, worse self-rated health, greater number of self-reported diseases and number of medical appointments. CONCLUSIONS Strategies to improve rational drug use should preferentially focus on women and older adults. Thus, special attention should be given to promote rational prescription in everyday health services.