Understanding of pictograms from the United States Pharmacopeia Dispensing Information (USP-DI) among elderly Brazilians

Figures & data

Table 1 Understanding the pictograms of the USP-DI

	Pictogram	Subtitles (USP-DI)	Correct, n (%)	Wrong, n (%)	Do not know, n (%)
1		Take 1 hour before meals	29 (25)	79 (68.2)	8 (6.8)
2		Take 1 hour after meals	32 (27.5)	74 (63.9)	10 (8.6)
3		Take 2 times a day	41 (35.3)	66 (56.8)	9 (7.7)
4		Take 4 times a day	7 (6)	93 (80.3)	16 (13.7)
5		Take 3 times a day	12 (10.3)	86 (74.2)	18 (15.5)
6		Take by mouth	49 (42.2)	53 (45.8)	14 (12)
7		Do not store near heat or in sunlight	3 (2.5)	82 (70.8)	31 (26.7)
8		Take with meals	16 (13.7)	87 (75.1)	13 (11.2)
9		Wash hands/place drops in ear/wash hands again	34 (29.3)	70 (60.4)	12 (10.3)
10		Wash hands/place drops in nose/wash hands again	79 (68)	33 (28.6)	4 (3.4)
11		Wash hands/insert into vagina/wash hands again	34 (29.3)	58 (50.1)	24 (20.6)
12		Do not store medicine where children can get in	52 (44.8)	53 (45.8)	11 (9.4)
13		Do not drink alcohol while taking this medicine	38 (32.7)	63 (54.4)	15 (12.9)
14		This medicine may make you drowsy	0 (0)	73 (63)	43 (37)
15		Store in refrigerator	25 (21.5)	62 (53.5)	29 (25)

Note: This study was conducted in Aracaju, in 2012 (n=116). Copyright © 1997 USPC. All pictograms are reproduced from The United States Pharmacopeial Convention. Download USP Pictograms [webpage on the internet]. The United States Pharmacopeial Convention; 2014. Available from: http://www.usp.org/usp-healthcare-professionals/related-topics-resources/usp-pictograms/download-pictograms. Accessed September 18, 2014.³⁰

Abbreviations: USP-DI, United States Pharmacopeia Dispensing Information; n, number.

Table 2 Distribution of the identification of the pictograms by respondents, according to the age variable

Age group (in years)	Pictogram		Prevalence (%)	PR	χ^2	P-value
	Right	Wrong
	P1
≤75	21	65	24.4	1.00	0.06	0.80
>75	8	22	26.7	0.91
	P2
≤75	22	64	25.6	1.00	0.6	0.41
>75	10	20	33.3	0.76
	P3
≤75	35	51	40.7	1.00	4.1	0.04
>75	6	24	20	2.03
	P4
≤75	5	82	5.7	1.00	0.05	0.82
>75	2	27	6.8	0.83
	P5
≤75	9	77	10.5	1.00	0.005	0.94
>75	3	27	10	1.05
	P6
≤75	40	49	44.9	1.00	1.1	0.28
>75	9	18	33.3	1.35
	P7
≤75	2	84	2.33	1.00	0.08	0.76
>75	1	29	3.33	0.7
	P8
≤75	11	75	12.7	1.00	0.3	0.59
>75	5	25	16.7	0.76
	P9
≤75	27	59	31.4	1.00	0.7	0.40
>75	7	23	23.3	1.34
	P10
≤75	61	25	70.9	1.00	1.2	0.27
>75	18	12	60	1.18
	P11
≤75	30	56	34.8	1.00	4.9	0.02
>75	4	26	13.3	2.62
	P12
≤75	45	40	52.9	1.00	8.4	0.003
>75	7	24	22.6	2.34
	P13
≤75	33	53	38.4	1.00	4.7	0.02
>75	5	25	16.7	2.30
	P14
≤75	0	86	–	–	–	–
>75	0	30	–	–
	P15
≤75	20	65	23.5	1.00	0.7	0.4
>75	5	26	16.1	1.46

Note: P1–15 refer to pictograms obtained from the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP).³⁰

Abbreviations: P, pictogram; PR, prevalence ratio.

Table 3 Distribution of the identification of the pictograms by respondents, according to the variable wage income

Wage income (minimum wage)	Pictogram		Prevalence (%)	PR	χ^2	P-value
	Right	Wrong
	P1
<3	17	52	24.6	1.03	0.01	0.91
≥3	12	35	25.5	1.00
	P2
<3	15	50	23.1	1.44	1.49	0.22
≥3	17	34	33.3	1.00
	P3
<3	22	49	30.9	1.36	1.51	0.21
≥3	19	26	42.2	1.00
	P4
<3	3	67	4.3	2.02	–	0.55#
≥3	4	42	8.7	1.00
	P5
<3	5	63	7.3	2.00	–	0.34#
≥3	7	41	14.6	1.00
	P6
<3	30	40	42.8	1.00	0.02	0.86
≥3	19	27	41.3	1.04
	P7
<3	1	69	1.4	3.07	–	0.69#
≥3	2	44	4.3	1.00
	P8
<3	9	59	13.2	1.10	0.04	0.83
≥3	7	41	14.6	1.00
	P9
<3	18	51	26.1	1.30	0.8	0.35
≥3	16	31	34.0	1.00
	P10
<3	42	28	60	1.34	5.3	0.02
≥3	37	9	80.4	1.00
	P11
<3	19	52	26.7	1.25	0.6	0.45
≥3	15	30	33.3	1.00
	P12
<3	24	46	34.3	1.77	7.8	0.005
≥3	28	18	60.8	1.00
	P13
<3	18	52	25.7	1.70	3.9	0.04
≥3	20	26	43.5	1.00
	P14
<3	0	71	–	–	–	–
≥3	0	45	–	–
	P15
<3	10	61	14.1	2.36	5.9	0.01
≥3	15	30	33.3	1.00

Notes: Wages are presented in Brazilian Real ($R).

# Fisher’s exact test. P1–15 refer to pictograms obtained from the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP).³⁰

Abbreviations: P, pictogram; PR, prevalence ratio.

Table 4 Distribution of the identification of pictograms by respondents, according to the education variable

Education (years of schooling)	Pictogram		Prevalence (%)	PR	χ^2	P-value
	Right	Wrong
	P1
Illiterate	1	15	6.25	4.48	3.4	0.06
1 or more	28	72	28	1.00
	P2
Illiterate	2	14	12.5	2.40	–	0.24#
1 or more	30	70	30	1.00
	P3
Illiterate	5	11	31.2	1.15	0.13	0.71
1 or more	36	64	36	1.00
	P4
Illiterate	1	15	6.2	1.00	–	.0.99#
1 or more	6	94	6	1.03
	P5
Illiterate	1	13	7.1	1.52	–	.0.99#
1 or more	11	91	10.8	1.00
	P6
Illiterate	7	15	31.8	1.40	1.2	0.27
1 or more	42	52	44.7	1.00
	P7
Illiterate	0	16	0	0	–	.0.99#
1 or more	3	97	3	1.00
	P8
Illiterate	2	14	12.5	1.12	–	.0.99#
1 or more	14	86	14	1.00
	P9
Illiterate	4	12	25	1.20	–	0.93#
1 or more	30	70	30	1.00
	P10
Illiterate	10	6	62.5	1.10	0.3	0.60
1 or more	69	31	69	1.00
	P11
Illiterate	3	13	18.7	1.65	–	0.49#
1 or more	31	69	31	1.00
	P12
Illiterate	2	14	12.5	4.00	7.7	0.005
1 or more	50	50	50	1.00
	P13
Illiterate	4	12	25	1.36	0.5	0.47
1 or more	34	66	34	1.00
	P14
Illiterate	0	17	–	–	–	–
1 or more	0	99	–	–
	P15
Illiterate	2	15	11.8	1.96	–	0.47#
1 or more	23	76	23.2	1.00

Notes:

# Fisher’s exact test. P1–15 refer to pictograms obtained from the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP).³⁰

Abbreviations: P, pictogram; PR, prevalence ratio.

Download USP Pictograms [webpage on the internet]The United States Pharmacopeial Convention2014 Available from: http://www.usp.org/usp-healthcare-professionals/related-topics-resources/usp-pictograms/download-pictogramsAccessed September 18, 2014

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