Palabras clave
Personas mayores
Medicamentos
Alfabetización en salud
Polifarmacia
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Resumen
Objetivo: Evaluar el perfil de automedicación en personas mayores, identificando fármacos utilizados, motivaciones y riesgos de esta práctica. Métodos: Estudio transversal cuantitativo-descriptivo con 218 personas mayores de la Casa del Adulto Mayor en Imperatriz/MA, en 2025, mediante cuestionario con 18 preguntas. Resultados: La prevalencia de automedicación fue 59,4%, predominantemente en mujeres (71,7%) con baja escolaridad (55,7%). Los principales motivos fueron alto costo de consultas (43,4%) y experiencia previa con medicamentos (31,1%). Los analgésicos y antiinflamatorios fueron los más utilizados (31,1%). Los comportamientos de riesgo incluyeron compartir medicamentos (51,1%) y almacenamiento inadecuado (68,9%). Preocupantemente, 87,2% de los mayores que reportaron efectos adversos no buscaron ayuda médica. Conclusión: Los resultados evidencian alta prevalencia de automedicación motivada por factores económicos y bajo nivel de alfabetización en salud. La falta de acción tras efectos adversos revela percepción inadecuada del riesgo. Se concluye que se necesitan intervenciones multifacéticas para promover el uso racional de medicamentos y mejorar el acceso a servicios de salud, mitigando riesgos y promoviendo envejecimiento seguro.
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