Knowledge of parents of 10-year-old schoolchildren attending primary school in Lublin about OTC drugs

Journal Title: Medycyna Ogólna i Nauki o Zdrowiu - Year 2014, Vol 20, Issue 4

Abstract

[b]introduction and objective[/b]. Children are a subgroup of the general population which is more prone to harmful side-effects of OTC drugs. The aim of the study was to identify the parents’ knowledge about OTC drugs and to establish how the parents administer OTC drugs to their 10-year-old children. [b]materials and methods[/b]: The study was conducted in April 2011 in Primary School No. 40 in Lublin among the parents of 10-year-old pupils. The research was performed by means of a survey method, a poll auditorium technique. An original questionnaire consisting of 20 closed end questions was used. 107 correctly filled questionnaires were collected. [b]results.[/b] The following sources of information about OTC drugs administered to children were given by their parents: a physician (52.3%), a pharmacist (52.3%) and parents’ own experiences with OTC drugs (47.7%). A physician was the most trusted source of information, a pharmacist was on the second position. Commercials and opinions of family members or friends were the least trusted sources of information about OTC drugs. As many as 43.9% of the examined did not follow a drug administration schedule while dosing OTC drugs to their children, and 17.8% admitted that sometimes they gave larger that recommended drug doses to their children. Over one third of the examined parents acknowledged that they seldom checked the drug expiry date, and almost one fourth of the parents rarely verified which chemical substances were present in a given medicine. Nearly one third of the examined did not keep medicines in a place inaccessible for their children and 27.1% of parents let their children take the drugs by themselves when the parents were absent. [b]conclusions[/b]. It is alarming that so many parents lack awareness that breaking the rules of drug administration to their children irresponsibly can cause a real threat to children’s health.

Authors and Affiliations

Dorota Żołnierczuk-Kieliszek, Mariola Janiszewska, Damian Szymczyk, Teresa Kulik, Agnieszka Zabłocka, Ewa Kawiak-Jawor

Keywords

Related Articles

Fibrous-hyperplastic changes of oral cavity mucosa. Own observations

Fibrous-hyperplastic changes of the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, caused by using removable dentures, are often met in dental practice. In literature, they are well-known under the terrms: granulomas fissurati, and...

Asthma and asthmatic state in everyday medical practice

Bronchial asthma is a chronic, inflammatory disease of the bronchial tree. It is characterized by periodical, transient limitation of air flow through the airways, which disappears after treatment, and is manifested by e...

Zmiana jakości życia pacjentów ze stabilną chorobą wieńcową leczonych przezskórną angioplastyką tętnic wieńcowych w rocznej obserwacji

[b]Wprowadzenie i cel pracy. [/b]W ostatnich latach dużą uwagę poświęca się badaniom jakości życia w chorobach układu sercowo-naczyniowego. Celem przeprowadzonych badań była ocena jakości życia pacjentów z chorobą wieńco...

Social aspects of urban space management in the context of environmental health – from the garden city idea to current social movements

[b]Introduction and aim of the study. [/b]Among the most valuable solutions in urban planning was the idea of a garden city, coined by British community activist, Ebenezer Howard, at the end of 19 th century. At present...

Fear of childbirth in the third trimester of pregnancy and its correlation with the condition of neonate

[b]Background.[/b] Many studies worldwide have suggested the existence of a relationship between prenatal anxiety and abnormal course of pregnancy, and the health status of the neonate. Social support received from close...

Download PDF file
  • EP ID EP58404
  • DOI -
  • Views 196
  • Downloads 0

How To Cite

Dorota Żołnierczuk-Kieliszek, Mariola Janiszewska, Damian Szymczyk, Teresa Kulik, Agnieszka Zabłocka, Ewa Kawiak-Jawor (2014). Knowledge of parents of 10-year-old schoolchildren attending primary school in Lublin about OTC drugs. Medycyna Ogólna i Nauki o Zdrowiu, 20(4), 374-378. https://europub.co.uk/articles/-A-58404