Direct-to-Consumer Marketing of Osteoporosis Drugs and Bone Densitometry

Abstract

Spanish

French

OBJECTIVE:

To determine whether there is an association between a woman's exposure to direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisements for 2 osteoporosis drugs and presentation for bone densitometry.

METHODS:

A matched case–control study was conducted between October and December 1998 at an academic primary care clinic in Seattle, WA. Seventeen women from the study population (aged ≥18 y, seen in the previous 2 y at the academic primary care clinic) presented for bone densitometry. All 51 women completed a self-administered questionnaire.

RESULTS:

Women familiar with 1 of 2 osteoporosis drugs due to exposure to advertisements had 9 times the odds of densitometry (unadjusted OR 9.3, 95% CI 1.0 to 86). Multivariate analysis, including confounders such as education level and whether a woman had previously had 3 screening tests (mammography, Pap smear, serum cholesterol), revealed a significant and strong association between exposure to advertisements and densitometry (adjusted OR 29, 95% CI 1.6 to 511).

CONCLUSIONS:

DTC marketing may increase health services utilization. Further independent evaluation of DTC marketing based on available observational evidence is feasible and warranted.

Keywords

densitometry direct-to-consumer marketing healthcare utilization osteoporosis

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