Læknablaðið - 15.03.1997, Blaðsíða 8

148
LÆKNABLAÐIÐ 1997; 83
Róandi lyf og svefnlyf
Þekking sjúklinga og viðhorf
Sigríður Dóra Magnúsdóttir11, Geir Karlsson21, Stefán Þórarinsson31, Guðmundur Sverrisson21,
Jóhann Ágúst Sigurðsson21
Magnúsdóttir SD, Karlsson G, Þórarinsson S, Sverr-
isson G, Sigurðsson JÁ
Hypnotics and tranquiliisers. Patients’ knowledge
and attitudes
Læknablaðið 1997; 83; 148-52
Objective: To elicit patients’ views and attitudes to-
wards the use of hypnotics and tranquillisers and
their knowledge about such drugs and household
remedies.
Matcrial and methods: During 1986-1993 a total of
577 individuals in Egilsstaðir district (3029 inhabit-
ants) had used sedatives and/or tranquillisers. Out
of this group a stratified randomised sample com-
posing 208 individuals, received a questionnaire
with 22 or 24 questions about the use of tranquillis-
ers and hypnotics.
Results: The mean age was 55.1 years for users of
tranquillisers, 60.1 years for the users of hypnotics.
Women were in majority in both groups, most of
them were married and working outside the home.
Users of tranquillisers were divided into two main
categories i.e. daily users and occasional users. Only
a few used tranquillisers two or three times daily.
Many used tranquillisers only as sleeping medicine.
A fourth of the participants began using hypnotics
after sleeping problems of less than one month.
Doctors usually prescribed the medicines the first
time they were used. 55% have tried household
remedies against anxiety and sleeping problems. A
Frá "Heilsugæslustöðinni Seltjarnarnesi, aheimilislæknis-
fræði/ Heilsugæslustöðinni Sólvangi, 3)Heilsugæslustöðinni
Egilsstöðum. Bréfaskriftir, fyrirspurnir: Sigríður Dóra Magn-
úsdóttir Heilsugæslustöðinni Seltjarnarnesi, v/Suðurströnd,
170 Seltjarnarnes.
Lykilorð: Svefrriyf, róandi lyf, þekking sjúklinga, viöhorf
sjúklinga, húsráð.
majority had tried to stop using these medicines.
Feelings of guilt because of the use of medicines was
not common. Participants were well informed about
how much sleep is needed.
Conclusion: Our results show that most of the pa-
tients in the research area had gripped their doctors’
message regarding sleeping problems, health pro-
motion and the risk of addiction after continuous
use of hypnotics and tranquillisers. It is however
likely, that more education in this direction can
further increase health promotion and minimise the
use of drugs.
Key words: hypnotics, tranquillisers, patients'knowledge,
patients’ compliance, household remedies.
Correspondence: Sigríður Dóra Magnúsdóttir,
Heilsugæslustöðinni Seltjarnarnesi, v/Suðurströnd,
170 Seltjarnarnes.
Ágrip
Tilgangur: Tilgangur rannsóknarinnar var
að afla upplýsinga frá sjúklingum um þekkingu
og viðhorf þeirra til róandi lyfja og svefnlyfja
svo og vitneskju þeirra um svefn og svefnþörf.
Efniviður og aðferðir: Rannsóknin var gerð í
Egilsstaðalæknishéraði 1994. Valið var tilvilj-
anakennt aldursflokkað úrtak (n=208) úr hópi
allra þeirra einstaklinga (n=577) sem höfðu
notað svefnlyf eða róandi lyf á árunum 1986-
1993. Spurningalisti með 22 eða 24 spurningum
unt róandi lyf og svefnlyf var sendur til þátttak-
enda.
Niðurstöður: Helmingur notenda róandi
lyfja tók lyfin tilfallandi, en fjórðungur daglega
og lítill hópur þeirra tók lyfin tvisvar til þrisvar
á dag. Þriðjungur tók svefnlyf daglega og lang-
tímanotkun þeirra var algeng. Langflestir
höfðu aðalvitneskju sína um róandi lyf og