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• Prevalence of self-medication was around 25 % among older Europeans. • Women presenting greater odds of self-medication. • Not using medication prescribed presented a higher chance to self-medicate. • Longstanding illness is associated with higher risk of self-medication. Self-medication, despite some benefits, carries many risks, especially when practiced by older adults who are polymedicated. Information addressing the prevalence and associated factors of self-medication in older age in a European context is scarce and sometimes contradictory. This paper aims to estimate the prevalence of self-medication among older adults across Europe and to identify its predictive factors. Cross-sectional study. Micro-data from the European Health Interview Survey (2006–2009) was used. The sample comprised 31,672 community-dwelling individuals aged 65 and over living in private households in 14 European countries. The analyses explored the use, over the last two weeks, of any medicines, supplements, or vitamins that were not prescribed by a doctor. The mean self-medication prevalence was 26.3 %, being the highest in Poland (49.4 %) and the lowest in Spain (7.8 %). Greater odds of self-medication were found for women and for participants who were younger, divorced, or presented a higher educational degree. The presence of long-standing illness and physical pain or not using prescribed medication also significantly increased the possibility of self-medication. A wide variation in the odds of self-medication between countries was also observed (up to 8 times more for Poland, compared to Spain). Self-medication is a prevalent problem among older Europeans, and even though some think it is risk-free, dangers tend to be greater with advancing age. This study will help identify the groups most likely to have this behavior so that we can focus on targeted educative and preventive initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The objective of this secondary analysis is to describe the types of commercial complementary foods (CCF) consumed by infants and young children enrolled in the European Childhood Obesity Project (CHOP), to describe the contribution of CCF to dietary energy intakes and to determine factors associated with CCF use over the first 2 years of life. Methods: The CHOP trial is a multicenter intervention trial in Germany, Belgium, Italy, Poland and Spain that tested the effect of varying levels of protein in infant formula on the risk for childhood obesity. Infants were recruited from October 2002 to June 2004. Dietary data on CCF use for this secondary analysis were taken from weighted, 3-day dietary records from 1088 infants at 9 time points over the first 2 years of life. Results: Reported energy intakes from CCF during infancy (4–9 months) was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.002) amongst formula-fed children compared to breastfed children. Sweetened CCF intakes were significantly higher (p ≤ 0.009) amongst formula-fed infants. Female infants were fed significantly less CCF and infant age was strongly associated with daily CCF intakes, peaking at 9 months of age. Infants from families with middle- and high-level of education were fed significantly less quantities of CCF compared to infants with parents with lower education. Sweetened CCF were very common in Spain, Italy and Poland, with over 95% of infants and children fed CCF at 9 and 12 months of age consuming at least one sweetened CCF. At 24 months of age, 68% of the CHOP cohort were still fed CCF. Conclusions: CCF comprised a substantial part of the diets of this cohort of European infants and young children. The proportion of infants being fed sweetened CCF is concerning. More studies on the quality of commercial complementary foods in Europe are warranted, including market surveys on the saturation of the Western European market with sweetened CCF products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pertussis epidemiology was examined in selected Central and Eastern European countries andTurkey (CEEs) from 1945 to 2005. Epidemiology and immunisation coverage data were collected fromNational Health Departments and Epidemiology Institutes. Pertussis diagnosis was made by the World Health Organization (WHO) clinical criteria, laboratory confirmation and/or epidemiological link, except for Romania (WHO clinical case definition used). In the pre-vaccine era, pertussis incidence (except Turkey) exceeded 200/100,000 (range180-651/100,000), with 60-70% of cases occurring in pre-school children. Until 2007, a second-year booster was givenin Estonia, Lithuania and Turkey, and an additional pre-school booster elsewhere. During 1995-2005, immunisation coverage by the age of 2 years exceeded 80% (range 80-98%) and, excluding Estonia, pertussis incidence was <3/100,000. Age-specific incidence rates rose in 5-14 year olds in Poland, Estonia and the Czech Republic. Incidence rates in children <1 year of age remained unchanged. There were two age distribution patterns. In the Czech Republic and Estonia, 16% of cases occurred in pre-school children and 17% and 22% in children >15 years of age, respectively; in Romania, Turkey and Lithuania, 51%, 71% and 73%, respectively, occurred in pre-school children and <7% in children aged >15 years.Pertussis infection persists, despite high immunisation coverage. Compared with the pre-vaccine era, the age distribution changed differentially in CEEs, with an apparent shift towards older children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]