Is Education Level Associated with Polypharmacy Considering Socio-economic Factors? A cross-sectional survey of the Amirkola Health and Aging Project

Abstract

The elderly population is more prone to chronic diseases, leading to polypharmacy, influenced by various factors. This study examined the relationship between education, socio-economics, and polypharmacy. As part of the initial phase of a cohort on the health status of the elderly in Amirkola City (northern Iran) initiated in 2011, this descriptive-analytical study (2023) involved individuals aged 60 and above. A total of 400 elderly participants were selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected from the cohort database via demographic, medication, and medical history questionnaires. The average number of medications used was 3.80 ± 0.04. No significant association was found between education and polypharmacy (P = 0.127); however, a trend was observed where increased education corresponded with fewer polypharmacy. The highest medication usage (4.46 ± 3.27) was observed among the illiterate elderly. No significant association was identified between education and polypharmacy when considering gender, occupation, income satisfaction, and marital status (P > 0.05); yet, the majority of individuals experiencing polypharmacy were men, housewives, or retirees, those with low-income satisfaction, and married. The level of education had no significant relationship with polypharmacy considering socio-economics, despite the fact that the more literate elderly had less polypharmacy. The reason for the mentioned results should be investigated in future studies.