Factors influencing self-medication in parents of 1-8 year old children referred to Shahid Mohammadi hospital in Bandar Abbas

Introduction : self-medication is a socioeconomic health problem in different communities. In this regard, there is a need for special attention to self-medication in parents especially those taking care of children. Therefore, the present research aimed to investigate the prevalence of self-medication in the parents of 1-8 year old children reffered to Shahid Mohammadi hospital in Bandar Abbas. Methods : The present descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 200 parents of 1-8 year old children reffered to Shahid Mohammadi hospital in Bandar Abbas. Participants were selected using simple randomized sampling method. Data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire that its validity and reliability were measured. Data were analyzed by SPSS software using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results : The results showed that 64% of parents had committed self-medication to their child. The most important causes of self-medication were easy drug supply from pharmacies with no prescription (71.5%), availability of medications at home or by relatives(65.5%), and previous experience of the disease (5305%). The most prevalent drugs taken were cold pills (99.5%), sedatives (97.5%), and antibiotics (52.5%). Statistically significant correlations were found between the prevalence of self-medication and Parents’ education (p-value<0.001), insurance type (p-value=0.013), and the number of children (p-value<0.001). Conclusion: Since in the present research a high percentage of parents had tried self-medications for their children, it is essential to conduct educational programes to teach them the logical consumption of drugs and make them aware of the adverse effects of drugs.