Table 3.
Prevalence of specific psychotropic drugs’ use among adults aged 60–79 years by sociodemographic and health-related factors: German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Adults (DEGS1) 2008–2011
| Synthetic medicines |
Phytomedicines |
Antidepressants† |
Hypnotics and sedatives‡ |
Narcotic analgesics§ |
Benzodiazepines and related drugs¶ |
Antidementia drugs** |
Antiepileptics†† |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per cent | 95% CI | Per cent | 95% CI | Per cent | 95% CI | Per cent | 95% CI | Per cent | 95% CI | Per cent | 95% CI | Per cent | 95% CI | Per cent | 95% CI | |
| Sex | ||||||||||||||||
| Men | 13.1 | 10.8 to 16.0 | 3.7 | 2.6 to 5.1 | 3.4 | 2.4 to 4.8 | 1.6 | .9 to 2.6 | 3.3 | 2.0 to 5.3 | 1.7 | 1.0 to 2.8 | 3.1 | 2.0 to 4.7 | 3.2* | 2.1 to 5.0 |
| Women | 20.2** | 17.3 to 23.5 | 9.0** | 7.2 to 11.2 | 11.8** | 9.4 to 14.7 | 4.9** | 3.7 to 6.6 | 4.9 | 3.6 to 6.5 | 4.7** | 3.3 to 6.5 | 5.2 | 3.8 to 7.0 | 1.5 | 0.9 to 2.6 |
| Age group, years | ||||||||||||||||
| 60–69 | 14.7 | 12.3 to 17.6 | 4.3 | 3.3 to 5.6 | 7.3 | 5.5 to 9.7 | 2.8 | 2.0 to 3.9 | 4.2 | 2.8 to 6.2 | 2.3 | 1.6 to 3.3 | 2.1 | 1.4 to 3.2 | 2.7 | 1.8 to 3.9 |
| 70–79 | 19.3* | 15.9 to 23.1 | 8.9** | 7.0 to 11.4 | 8.5 | 6.3 to 11.3 | 4.0 | 2.8 to 5.7 | 4.1 | 3.0 to 5.7 | 4.4* | 2.9 to 6.6 | 6.5** | 4.7 to 8.8 | 2.0 | 1.1 to 3.6 |
| Region of residence‡‡ | ||||||||||||||||
| Northern Germany | 15.6 | 12.3 to 19.6 | 5.2 | 3.5 to 7.8 | 6.6 | 4.6 to 9.4 | 2.6 | 1.5 to 4.5 | 4.0 | 2.4 to 6.4 | 2.3 | 1.3 to 3.9 | 3.0 | 1.8 to 5.0 | 2.6 | 1.4 to 4.6 |
| Central Germany | 16.1 | 13.3 to 19.4 | 7.7 | 5.9 to 10.0 | 7.5 | 5.5 to 10.0 | 3.7 | 2.6 to 5.4 | 4.0 | 2.8 to 5.6 | 3.7 | 2.5 to 5.3 | 5.2 | 3.7 to 7.4 | 1.9 | 1.2 to 3.2 |
| Southern Germany | 18.9 | 15.0 to 23.5 | 6.0 | 4.3 to 8.2 | 9.4 | 6.7 to 12.9 | 3.4 | 2.2 to 5.3 | 4.5 | 2.7 to 7.4 | 3.6 | 2.0 to 6.4 | 3.8 | 2.4 to 5.9 | 2.6 | 1.4 to 4.9 |
| Social status | ||||||||||||||||
| Lower | 21.9* | 17.2 to 27.4 | 4.4 | 2.7 to 7.1 | 8.4 | 5.6 to 12.4 | 3.0 | 1.7 to 5.5 | 7.3** | 4.9 to 10.7 | 4.0 | 2.2 to 7.2 | 3.1 | 1.6 to 5.9 | 1.8 | 0.8 to 4.2 |
| Middle | 16.6 | 14.1 to 19.5 | 7.2 | 5.7 to 9.1 | 8.2 | 6.3 to 10.8 | 3.5 | 2.5 to 4.8 | 3.5 | 2.4 to 5.0 | 3.1 | 2.1 to 4.6 | 4.6 | 3.3 to 6.3 | 2.7 | 1.7 to 4.1 |
| Upper | 10.4 | 7.8 to 13.9 | 6.8 | 4.6 to 9.9 | 5.5 | 3.7 to 8.1 | 3.4 | 2.0 to 5.9 | 1.9 | 1.1 to 3.5 | 3.0 | 1.6 to 5.5 | 4.0 | 2.5 to 6.4 | 1.6 | 0.7 to 3.8 |
| Living alone | ||||||||||||||||
| Yes | 22.4* | 18.0 to 27.6 | 9.3* | 6.2 to 13.6 | 14.2** | 10.4 to 19.1 | 3.4 | 1.9 to 5.8 | 5.2 | 3.3 to 8.2 | 5.0 | 2.8 to 8.9 | 7.0* | 4.3 to 11.3 | 2.3 | 1.1 to 4.6 |
| No | 15.4 | 13.2 to 17.9 | 5.7 | 4.5 to 7.1 | 6.1 | 4.7 to 7.9 | 3.3 | 2.5 to 4.4 | 3.9 | 2.8 to 5.3 | 2.8 | 2.0 to 3.9 | 3.4 | 2.5 to 4.5 | 2.3 | 1.6 to 3.4 |
| Smoking | ||||||||||||||||
| Smoker | 14.1 | 9.9 to 19.7 | 3.9 | 1.9 to 7.7 | 7.0 | 4.4 to 10.9 | 2.8 | 1.3 to 5.9 | 4.7 | 2.5 to 8.8 | 2.4 | 1.1 to 5.0 | 1.3 | .5 to 3.5 | 2.5 | 1.1 to 6.0 |
| Ex-smoker | 16.1 | 13.0 to 19.6 | 6.9 | 5.1 to 9.4 | 5.8 | 4.1 to 8.2 | 3.8 | 2.5 to 5.7 | 5.3 | 3.4 to 8.3 | 2.7 | 1.6 to 4.7 | 4.2 | 2.8 to 6.2 | 3.5* | 2.2 to 5.7 |
| Never-smoker | 17.7 | 14.7 to 21.3 | 6.3 | 4.9 to 7.9 | 9.0 | 6.8 to 11.8 | 3.2 | 2.2 to 4.5 | 3.2 | 2.2 to 4.5 | 4.0 | 2.7 to 5.7 | 4.3 | 3.1 to 6.0 | 1.4 | 0.8 to 2.4 |
| Health status | ||||||||||||||||
| Better | 9.2 | 7.4 to 11.4 | 5.2 | 3.9 to 6.9 | 4.9 | 3.7 to 6.6 | 2.3 | 1.6 to 3.3 | 1.2 | 0.5 to 2.6 | 1.9 | 1.2 to 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.2 to 4.3 | 1.1 | 0.6 to 2.0 |
| Worse | 27.3** | 23.7 to 31.3 | 8.2* | 6.3 to 10.5 | 12.0** | 9.3 to 15.3 | 4.8* | 3.4 to 6.8 | 8.1** | 6.2 to 10.6 | 5.2** | 3.6 to 7.5 | 5.4* | 3.8 to 7.7 | 3.9** | 2.6 to 5.9 |
| Certified disability | ||||||||||||||||
| Yes | 27.3** | 23.1 to 32.1 | 6.1 | 4.1 to 9.2 | 11.6* | 8.5 to 15.5 | 3.7 | 2.4 to 5.6 | 7.7** | 5.4 to 10.8 | 5.0* | 3.2 to 7.7 | 4.7 | 2.8 to 8.0 | 5.0** | 3.1 to 7.9 |
| No | 12.1 | 10.1 to 14.4 | 6.6 | 5.3 to 8.2 | 6.3 | 4.9 to 8.0 | 3.0 | 2.2 to 4.0 | 2.5 | 1.7 to 3.7 | 2.5 | 1.7 to 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.1 to 5.4 | 1.3 | 0.8 to 2.0 |
| Polypharmacy§§ | ||||||||||||||||
| Yes | 31.2** | 27.3 to 35.4 | 10.9** | 8.8 to 13.4 | 15.0** | 12.0 to 18.6 | 6.1** | 4.6 to 8.1 | 8.4** | 6.4 to 10.9 | 6.3** | 4.5 to 8.7 | 7.4** | 5.5 to 9.9 | 4.6** | 3.1 to 6.7 |
| No | 6.4 | 4.8 to 8.6 | 3.3 | 2.2 to 4.9 | 2.6 | 1.7 to 4.0 | 1.3 | 0.8 to 2.2 | 1.0 | 0.4 to 2.5 | 1.1 | 0.5 to 2.3 | 1.8 | 1.1 to 3.0 | 0.7 | 0.4 to 1.1 |
*p<0.05 or **p<0.01, comparison within specific subgroup, the Rao-Scott second-order χ2 test. Figures in bold denote statistical significance.
Missing values for: social status (n=16), living alone (n=14), smoking (n=14), health status (n=19), certified disability (n=58), polypharmacy (n=7).
All percentages and 95% CIs were weighted according to the German national population of 31 December 2010.
†N06A synthetics and St John's wort (N06AP01).
‡N05C synthetics, valerian and others used for sleep (N05CP).
§N02A.
¶N05BA, N05CD, N03AE01 and N05CF.
**N06D synthetics and Ginkgo biloba (N06DP01).
††N03.
‡‡Regions: Northern Germany (federal states: Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Schleswig-Holstein); Central Germany (Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia), Southern Germany (Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland).
§§Polypharmacy: use of five or more drugs, including prescribed and OTC drugs in the last 7 days.