Self-medication and adherence to drug treatment: assessment of participants of the Universidade do Envelhecer (the University of Aging) program

Abstract Objectives : to evaluate the use of medication (for continuous use and self-medication) and adherence to treatment among elderly and non-elderly participants of the Universidade do Envelhecer (UniSer). Method : an observational, quantitative and cross-sectional study, using the interview technique, was carried out at UniSer with 215 subjects. A structured instrument was used for the collection of sociodemographic variables and self-medication data. The 1986 Morisky-Green-Levine Scale (MGL) and the Brief Medication Questionnaire (BMQ) regimen screening tool were used to assess adherence. Descriptive analyzes of the data were performed, and the chi-squared Test and Fisher’s Exact Test were applied to evaluate the association between variables of interest. Results : of the participants, 127 (59.1%) were elderly (