Medicine and supplement use in infants, children, and adolescents depends on sex, age, and socioeconomic status: results of a German longitudinal population-based cohort study (LIFE Child)
Authors: Herzig Markus , Bertsche Astrid , Kiess Wieland , Bertsche Thilo , Neininger Martina P. 
Published: May 2022

Children and adolescents are exposed to medicines and supplements, but only a few studies have evaluated the actual intake in routine care. Thus, we performed a pharmacoepidemiological evaluation of a longitudinal population-based pediatric cohort study (LIFE Child) conducted at the University Hospital of Leipzig between 2014 and 2019. We analyzed all visits of the participants of the LIFE Child cohort between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2019. Participants were asked to bring their medicines and supplements to their appointments at the study center. If they had not brought the preparations with them, attempts were made to obtain the relevant information during a telephone call after the visit to the study center. Furthermore, the participants and their parents were interviewed on medicine and supplement use and on sociodemographic and socioeconomic data during their visit to the study center. Associations of medicine and supplement use with age, sex, and socioeconomic status were analyzed using multivariate binary logistic regressions to obtain adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Furthermore, the number of the respective visit was included as possible confounder in the multivariate model. We included 3602 participants who visited the study center 11,906 times. The intake of 9759 medicines and supplements was recorded. Based on the evaluation of all study visits, 49% of the children and adolescents took at least one medicine or supplement. Self-medication accounted for 28% of the medicines and supplements. The prevalence of overall intake increased from 45% in 2014 to 53% in 2019 (aOR 2.63, 95% CI 2.23, 3.09). The prevalence was the highest (77%) in children aged 0– < 3 years, owing mainly to vitamin D. The prevalence of medicine use was higher in females (40%; aOR 1.18, 95% CI 1.10, 1.28) than in males (35%), owing mainly to the intake of ibuprofen and hormonal contraceptives in adolescent females. A high socioeconomic status was a predictor of lower medicine (aOR 0.80, 95% CI 0.68, 0.95) and higher supplement (aOR 1.47, 95% CI 1.09, 1.98) use.

Conclusion: Half of all children and adolescents took at least one medicine or supplement. The intake varied depending on age and sex. Furthermore, high socioeconomic status was associated with a decreased probability of medicine intake.

What is Known:• Half of all children and adolescents in Germany are exposed to medicines and supplements.• Data on the actual intake are scarce as most studies focus on prescribed medicines.

What is New:• The prevalence of medicine/supplement use rose from 2014 (45%) to 2019 (53%). The prevalence was age-dependent: it was the highest in children aged < 3 years, and the lowest in children aged 6–< 9 years. Females took medicines more frequently than males.• High socioeconomic status was associated with lower medicine and higher supplement use. Self-medication accounted for 28% of all preparations.