• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.554-563
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate factors associated with drug misuse behaviors among polypharmacy elderly. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey. Participants consisted of 116 polypharmacy elderly who were taking 5 or more medications each day. Data were collected via face to face interviews. Data were analyzed using the PASW 18.0 program. Data concerning predisposing factor (knowledge, benefit), enabling factor (communication with health care provider), and need factor (perceived health status, number of disease) were collected. Results: The total mean score of drug misuse behaviors among polypharmacy elderly was 3.04 out of 10 points. Communication with health care provider, perceived health status, and knowledge were found to be significantly correlated with drug misuse behaviors. In stepwise multiple regression analysis, a total of 42% of the variance in drug misuse behaviors was accounted for communication with health care provider, perceived health status, and knowledge. Conclusion: Therefore, education program for improving communication with health care provider, and knowledge should be designed and provided for polypharmacy elderly.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.161-170
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use in elderly patients admitted to hospitals after falls. Methods: The study surveyed 283 patients 65 or older admitted January 1-December 31, 2016. Data were collected from electronic medical records, and medications administered immediately prior to admission were examined. PIM use for patients was investigated using the Beers criteria, and data were analyzed by Chi-square test and independent ttest. Results: The average age of participants was 79.42± 8.16, and the study included 226 women (79.9%) and 57 men (20.1%). The average number of self-administered medications daily was 4.94± 3.68, and 55.1% took five or more medications. PIM use was found in 107 patients (37.8%). There was a significant difference in polypharmacy according to age, and the proportion of medical aid beneficiaries and prevalence of cardiocerebrovascular, endocrine, and other chronic diseases were higher in the polypharmacy and PIM use patients than in the non-polypharmacy and non-PIM use patients. The number of chronic diseases and medications taken were significantly high among polypharmacy and PIM use patients. Conclusion: It is necessary to minimize polypharmacy and PIM use, and establish a system for systematically evaluating and managing medication use to prevent falls in the elderly.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.26 no.11
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• pp.217-225
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• 2021

In this paper, we designed and implemented the integrated system to prevent adverse drug reactions of polypharmacy components in medicine by supporting component-component information and disease-component information, through data queuing algorithm and vast amounts of pharmaceutical big data. In addition, by providing information for drugs, drug components, prohibited drugs, as well as suppliers and distributors, it could help ease anxiety about taking drugs not only for health-care professionals but also for general users. The representative information provided were side effects between two drugs, main components and effectiveness of particular drugs, drugs manufactured by the same pharmaceutical company, and drug component information for patients with chronic diseases. The future work is to update the database by collecting information on rare & new diseases and new drugs.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.237-249
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• 2013

This study was done to investigate status of polypharmacy and inappropriate medications use of the elderly of in nursing homes. The subjects of this study were 270 elderly people in the nursing homes of G city and K city, In this study, the medications were classified by Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) code, polypharmacy was defined as taking medications more than five, and inappropriate medications use were identified by Beers criteria. Data was analyzed by using descriptive statistics, t-test and one-way ANOVA. Total number of drug types in this study was the average $6.1{\pm}2.6$. The subjects with polypharmacy were 193(71.5%), and with inappropriate medications use were 138(51.1%). There was a significant difference in the polypharmacy according to the number of diseases(p<.001) and in the inappropriate medications use according to age(p=.018). Baesd on this study, polypharmacy and inappropriate medications use of elderly people were main problems that need to carefully assess for safe and correct medication usage in nursing home. Therefore, an ongoing medication monitoring system is necessary to minimize the adverse drug reactions of elderly.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.30-37
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• 2017

Purpose: The aims of this study were to identify prevalence and identify factors related to sarcopenic obesity among community-dwelling elderly women. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of the prospective cohort study. Our analysis included 338 elderly women (${\geq}65$ years old) in South Korea as a part of the Community-dwelling Older Adult Health Cohort (COHC) Study (2014-2015). Sarcopenic obesity was defined as the Asian Working Group of Sarcopenia recommendations and upper two quintiles for percentage body fat. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors related to sarcopenic obesity including chronic diseases, medications, stress, fatigue, depression, exercise, level of proteins on body compositions, smoking, and alcohol use. Results: The prevalence of sarcopenic obesity was 6.2%. A lower protein on body compositions (OR 0.017, 95% CI 0.003-0.081, p< .001), a larger number of medications (OR 2.104, 95% CI 1.404-3.152, p< .001), and a higher level of fatigue (OR 1.255, 95% CI 1.023-1.541, p= .030) were related factors of sarcopenic obesity. Conclusion: The findings suggest that nutritional interventions focusing on protein intakes should be needed to prevent sarcopenic obesity among the elderly women. Polypharmacy issue for preventing adverse outcomes and level of fatigue as indicator for early identification are also considered to develop community prevention programs.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.172-178
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• 2018

Objectives : This study aimed to describe the use of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and to identify predictors for their use in the elderly living alone. Methods : This is a cross-sectional study that enrolled 1,099 subjects. Data regarding socio-demographic status, medical condition, cognition, mood disorder and use of OTC drugs were collected using self-administered questionnaire and from a specific semi-structured interview by a trained nurse. Data regarding use of OTC drugs were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Logistic regression analysis was applied to examine factors associated with the use of OTC drugs. Results : The use of OTC drugs were reported by 35.4% of the subjects. Analgesics (13.6%) was the most frequent drugs. Depression (OR=1.10, 95% CI=1.10-1.87) and comorbidities measured by cumulative illness rating scale (CIRS) (OR=1.08, 95% CI=1.03-1.12) were significantly associated with the use of OTC drugs in the elderly living alone. Conclusions : Depression and severity of underlying medical conditions could be a predictor of the use of OTC drugs in the elderly living alone. The clinicians should be vigilant regarding the potential use of nonprescription medications in the elderly.