Professional paper

Indicators of morbidity, mortality and drug utilization in the city of Zagreb

Marina Polić-Vižinitin
Ingrid Tripković
Zlatica Štrban-Štok
Danijela Štimac
Josip Čulig

Abstract

The aging of the population influences the pattern of morbidity and the reasons for seeking medical help. The aim of the study was to assess the health condition and needs of the elderly citizens of Zagreb by analysis of the respective health indicators and outpatient drug utilization. Data provided by vital statistics and health statistics were used in the study. The analyses included prescription drug utilization using the World Health Organization ATC system and defined daily doses (DDD). The study hypothesis was tested by x2-test, to determine statistical significance for the morbidity in various age groups.
The highest index of using primary health care was recorded in the >65 age group (98,8%) with 7.5 examinations per inhabitant. The rate of hypertensive diseases was by far greater in the oldest age group as compared with other age groups (x2=27.3; p <0.005), which also held for intervertebral disk and other back pathology (x2=13.43; p<0.05). According to DDD, psycholeptics were the most prescribed drugs, immediately followed by the agents acting upon the renin-angiotensin system, and calcium channel blockers in 2001. Benzodiazepines predominated in the group of psycholeptics. The two major causes of death, circulatory diseases and neoplasms, were on a steady increase from 1971 till 2001 (by 43,7% and 55,1%, respectively).
The aging of the population entails an increasing rate of total mortality and a decreasing rate of standardized mortality according to age groups. During the study period, the mortality due to circulatory and malignant diseases, mental and endocrine disorders was on an increase, thus public health priorities should be directed towards prevention of chronic diseases. Data on the excessive utilization of benzodiazepines and expensive antihypertensive agents point to the need of continuing rational drug prescribing education of physicians.

Keywords

aging; mortality; morbidity; health care needs and demands

Hrčak ID:

10712

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/10712

Publication date:

20.1.2007.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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