Study Finds Dramatic Increase in Use of Medication for Chronic Illnesses among Children, Especially Girls
November 21, 2008
Study Finds Dramatic Increase in Use of Medication for Chronic Illnesses among Children, Especially Girls
A study of medication use based on prescription claims data for over 3 million privately insured children ages 5-19 found dramatic increases in drug use from 2002-2005 for chronic illnesses such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, asthma and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and attention-deficit disorder (ADD). Prescriptions for type 2 diabetes drugs doubled, with a 147% increase for girls and a 38% increase for boys. Report authors noted while obesity may be one of the causes for increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes drug use it does not explain the difference in growth rates for boys and girls because obesity rates for boys grew faster during the study’s period.
To view the study from Pediatrics, please visit
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/122/5/e1053
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