The use of youth healthcare services and its association with health-related quality of life, physical and mental health and over-the-counter analgesics use in 13-19-year-old adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Youth healthcare services in Norway include a public health nurse (PHN) at school and local youth health centres (YHCs). They provide health services for all adolescents free of charge, focusing on health promotion and disease prevention. The present study aimed to assess possible associations between health-related quality of life (HRQoL), physical and mental health, over-the-counter analgesics (OTCA) use and use of youth healthcare services among 13-19-year-old adolescents. METHODS: This study was based on national, cross-sectional data from the Ungdata Survey conducted in 2022. The sample was comprised of 16 482 adolescents. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyse the associations between HRQoL, headaches, selected physical symptoms, psychological distress, use of OTCA, PHN availability, sociodemographic variables, and use of the PHN at school or at a YHC. The KIDSCREEN-10 was used to measure HRQoL, and the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist 10 was used to measure symptoms of psychological distress. RESULTS: Girls used the youth healthcare services more frequently than boys. Better HRQoL was significantly associated with fewer visits to the PHN at school. Girls reported lower HRQoL and mental health, and more pain and frequent OTCA use than boys. When having symptoms of psychological distress, boys had greater odds of visiting the PHN at school than girls. For girls in senior high school, headaches and OTCA use were strongly associated with visiting the PHN at school and the YHC. In senior high school, boys with an immigration background had greater odds of visiting the YHC than native Norwegian boys, while girls with an immigration background were less likely to visit the YHC than native Norwegian girls. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that more girls than boys use youth healthcare services. When adolescents experience pain, have mental problems, use OTCA, or report low levels of HRQoL, they have greater odds of using youth healthcare services. Youth healthcare services offer excellent opportunities to support and follow up with adolescents. The findings provide important insights into youth healthcare services used by adolescents for various stakeholders, including PHNs and policy makers, with potential implications for future public health efforts.

High-frequency use of over-the-counter analgesics among adolescents: reflections of an emerging difficult life, a cross-sectional study.

AIMS: To examine characteristics of 15- to 16-year-old adolescents who used over-the-counter analgesics daily to weekly (high-frequency users) as compared to those who used less or no analgesics (low-frequency users). Further to analyse the differences in pain experience, lifestyle, self-esteem, school attendance and educational ambition. METHODS: An anonymous cross-sectional questionnaire-based study. The questionnaire covered the use of over-the-counter analgesics, pain experience, sociodemographics, lifestyle factors, self-esteem, school absence and future educational plans. The study took place in the 10th grade in six junior high schools in a medium-sized town in Norway. The local sales data for analgesics and antipyretics were close to the national average. We invited 626 adolescents to participate. Of the 367 adolescents (59%) who responded, 51% were girls. Associations between the frequency of use of over-the-counter analgesic and the mentioned variables were analysed using multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: In total, 26% (42 boys and 48 girls) used over-the-counter analgesics daily to weekly. These high-frequency users experienced more widespread pain, slept less, had more paid spare-time work, drank more caffeinated drinks, participated more often in binge drinking, had lower self-esteem, less ambitious educational plans and more frequent school absence than did the low-frequency users. These associations remained significant when controlling for gender, cultural background and self-evaluated economic status. CONCLUSION: Adolescent, who are high-frequency users of over-the-counter analgesics, suffer more pain and have identifiable characteristics indicative of complex problems. Their ability to handle stress appears to be discordant with the kind of situations to which they are exposed. The wear and tear associated with allostatic mechanisms counteracting stress may heighten their pain experience.

Marketing approaches for OTC analgesics in Bulgaria.

The marketing management includes analysis of market opportunities, selection of target markets, planning, developing and implementing of marketing strategies, monitoring and result control. The object of the present study was to analyse the marketing approaches applied for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in Bulgaria. The performed SWOT(planning method used to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis for one of the leading Bulgarian manufacturers marked the complex corporative strategy for stimulating the sales of NSAIDs. The study results show that the legislation frame in the country gives an opportunity for regulation of the NSAID market in order that incorrect marketing approaches such as disloyal competition are avoided.

Frequency of nonaspirin NSAID-relevant coexisting medical conditions in the primary-care setting: a retrospective database review.

BACKGROUND: Coexisting medical conditions and concomitant medications contribute to treatment challenges primary-care professionals (PCPs) face daily. The current study assessed the extent and distribution of nonaspirin NSAID-relevant coexisting medical conditions of interest (CMCOI) in patients visiting PCPs. METHODS: This retrospective database review analyzed data from three large health-care claim databases to identify the frequency of nonaspirin NSAID-relevant CMCOI among adults aged ≥18 years with a PCP visit in 2013. Claim databases employed were the Truven Health MarketScan® Commercial Claims and Encounters database, representative of the privately insured (PI) population; Truven Health MarketScan Multi-State Medicaid, representative of the Medicaid population (Medicaid); and Truven MarketScan Medicare Supplemental, representative of the Medicare population with employer-based supplemental Medicare insurance (Medicare-Supplement). Nonaspirin NSAID-relevant CMCOI, asthma, cardiovascular risk factors, gastrointestinal bleeding risk factors, and renal insufficiency were chosen based on US NSAID over-the-counter Drug Facts label warnings. Frequency of CMCOI was determined for those without and with a musculoskeletal diagnosis. RESULTS: In each database, ≥19% (19.0% PI, 29.9% Medicaid, 33.6% Medicare-Supplement) had a musculoskeletal diagnosis. A greater proportion of individuals with a musculoskeletal diagnosis had one or more CMCOI compared with those without a musculoskeletal diagnosis (61.3% vs 50.4% PI, 78.1% vs 66.8% Medicaid, 87.1% vs 82.3% Medicare-Supplement). The frequency of one or more CMCOI increased with age in each database. Across databases among CMCOI, cardiovascular risk factors were most common, followed by gastrointestinal bleeding risk factors, and proportions were higher among those with a musculoskeletal diagnosis. CONCLUSION: These data confirm the high frequency of nonaspirin NSAID-relevant CMCOI among patients presenting to PCPs for musculoskeletal diagnosis, as well as among older patients. These analyses reinforce the critical role health-care professionals can play in identifying patients with nonaspirin NSAID-relevant CMCOI, providing those patients with ongoing guidance on appropriate choice and use of over-the-counter analgesics, and educating patients about the impact aging, health status, concomitant conditions, and medicines have on selection of all medicines, including analgesics.