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Health Equity

Poster Session B

((B-194)) (B-194) Association between older adults’ socioeconomic status and their healthcare experiences, preferences, and attitudes towards medications: A cross-sectional study in 14 countries

Monday, August 25, 2025
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM ET
Location: Hall D

    Co-Author(s)

  • RV

    Renata Vidonscky Lüthold

    Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland, Switzerland

  • EK

    Esther Kleijer-Werkman

    Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland, Switzerland

  • KJ

    Katharina Tabea Jungo

    Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, United States

  • ZR

    Zsófia Rozsnyai

    Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland, Switzerland

  • LA

    Limor Adler

    Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel, Israel

  • RA

    Radost Assenova

    Department of Urology and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Bulgaria

  • ER

    Eloísa Rogero-Blanco

    General Ricardos Health Centre, Gerencia Asistencial Atención Primaria, Servicio Madrileño de Salud, Madrid, Spain, Spain

  • MB

    Markus Bleckwenn

    Institute of General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany, Germany

  • TF

    Thomas Frese

    Institute of General Practice and Family Medicine, Martin Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), ST, Germany, Germany

  • GH

    Gilles Henrard

    Department of General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium, Belgium

  • AJ

    Aisling A. Jennings

    Department of General Practice, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland, Ireland

  • DK

    Donata Kurpas

    Division of Research Methodology, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław, Poland, Poland

  • VL

    Vanja Lazic

    Health center Zagreb – Centar, Zagreb, Croatia, Croatia

  • HL

    Heidrun Lingner

    Hannover Medical School, Center for Public Health and Healthcare, Department for Medical Psychology, Hannover, Germany, Germany

  • SM

    Stina Mannheimer

    Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Västra Götaland Region, Sweden, Sweden

  • AC

    Anne Centeno Neelen

    Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland, Switzerland

  • AP

    Anabela Pereira

    Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS@RISE), Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro. Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal, Portugal

  • FP

    Ferdinando Petrazzuoli

    Sezione SNaMID Caserta, Caserta, Italy, Italy

  • RP

    Rosalinde K. E. Poortvliet

    Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands, Netherlands

  • S

    Ágnes Szélvári

    Department of Family Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary, Hungary

  • DW

    Dorothea M. G. Wild

    Institute of Family Medicine and General Practice, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn University, Bonn, Germany, Germany

  • SS

    Sven Streit

    Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland, Switzerland

    • Presenting Author(s)

  • Enriqueta Vallejo-Yagüe, PhD, Pharm

    Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland, Switzerland

Background: Socioeconomic status (SES) influences health outcomes. SES and older age are associated with polypharmacy, health literacy, and quality of care. Little is known about how SES influences healthcare experiences of older adults with polypharmacy.

Objectives: To investigate the association between older adults’ SES and their i) attitudes towards deprescribing, ii) satisfaction with medications, iii) self-rated health, iv) health literacy, and v) trust in their GP.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, older adults with polypharmacy from 14 countries completed a survey on their attitudes towards deprescribing, healthcare experiences, and sociodemographic characteristics. We compared responses across high SES (reference), medium SES, and low SES; defining SES by education and financial status. We performed multilevel logistic regressions (adjusted for clustering at the country level) to assess the association between SES and the outcomes (attitudes towards deprescribing; satisfaction with medications; self-rated health; health literacy; and trust in their GP).

Results: Among 1,320 older adults, compared to those with high SES (reference group), those with medium and low SES were less likely to be satisfied with their current medications (ORmediumSES 0.63, 95%CI 0.44-0.92; ORlowSES 0.45, 95%CI 0.29-0.71), less likely to report good health (ORmediumSES 0.49, 95%CI 0.37-0.65; ORlowSES 0.22, 95%CI 0.14-0.34), and had lower self-reported health literacy (ORmediumSES 0.31, 95%CI 0.24- 0.41; ORlowSES 0.10, 95%CI 0.07-0.16). Participants with low SES were more likely to want a medication deprescribed (ORlowSES 1.76, 95%CI 1.20-2.57). And participants with medium SES were less likely to trust their GP (ORmediumSES 0.70, 95%CI 0.52-0.94).

Conclusions: Older adults with lower SES expressed greater interest in deprescribing, lower satisfaction with medications, lower self-rated health, and lower health literacy. This suggests considering SES to optimise patient care in older adults.