Promoting the proper use of medicines in rural school children of India

Authors

  • Mangesh A. Bankar Department of Pharmacology, Government Medical College, Nagpur, India
  • Sujata S. Dudhgaonkar Department of Pharmacology, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Nagpur, India

Keywords:

Medicine perceptions, Knowledge, Self medication, School health, Curriculum, Adverse effects

Abstract

Background: The problem of irrational use of medicines is prevalent in rural India. For safe and proper use of medicines there is a need to understand the proper way of taking medicines. Teaching proper use of medicines is the most neglected domain of the school health curriculum. So this study targeted school going children in rural area of India as the earlier the intervention, the more firmly longer lasting health related behavior can be successfully inculcated. The objectives of the study were (1) To study base level knowledge about use of medicines and (2) To implement and see the effect of an intervention to increase medicine knowledge in the form of information, education and communication (IEC) in rural school children.

Methods: This was an interventional, questionnaire based (quantitative) study in which an intervention in the form of lectures which was given to school children. Rural school going children in age group of13-15 years were selected from 3 different schools of rural areas of Nagpur district, India. 500 school children were included after obtaining permission from school authorities and informed consent from their parents. Pretesting done by administering a questionnaire containing 20 questions to assess children's base level knowledge about medicine use. The same questionnaire was repeated on 16th and 45th day of intervention i.e. daily lectures of 25-30 minutes for 15 days on proper use of medicines, to judge the improvement.

Results: It was observed that the interventions brought about a positive change in the knowledge of the students as well as increased awareness about proper use of medicines.

Conclusions: This study showed that properly timed and meticulously implemented intervention can bring about a positive change in the attitude and knowledge of school children.

References

Hameen-Anttila K, Airaksinen M, Vainio K, Bush PJ, Ahonen R. Developing a medicine education program in Finland: lessons learned. Health Policy 2006;78:272-83.

Sloand ED, Vessey JA. Self-medication with common household medicines by young adolescents. Issues Compr Pediatr Nurs 2001;24: 57-67.

Katri Hämeen-Anttila, Leena Honkanen, KirstiVainio, The usability of medicine education assignments for seven to nine year-old children. Health Education 2009;109(6):491-506.

Hampshire KR, Porter G, Owusu SA, Tanle A, Abane A. Out of reach of children? Young poeple's health-seeking practices and agency in Africa's newly-emerging therapeutic landscapes. Social Science and Medicine 2011;73:702-10.

Patel V, Vaidya R, Naik D, Borker P. Irrational drug use in India: A prescription survey from Goa. J Postgrad Med 2005;51:9-12.

Dineshkumar B, Raghuram TC, Radhaiah G, KrishnaswamyK. Profile of Drug Use in Urban and Rural India. Pharmacoeconomics 1995;7(4):275-374.

Dutta A, ChakrabortyS.Practice of rational drug uses in a rural area of 24 pgs(s) in West Bengal. J Adv Pharm Technol Res. 2010 Jul-Sep; 1(3):358-64.

Bush PJ, Cebotarenco N. Its time children learned about medicines. JPHSR 2010;1:3-8.

Patil AV, Somasundaram KV, Goyal RC. Current health scenario in rural India. Aust J Rural Health 2002;10:129-35.

KatriHameen-Anttila, Patricia J. Bush. Healthy children’s perceptions of medicines: A review. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy 2008;4:98-114.

Bush PJ, Iannotti RJ. A children’s health belief model. Med Care 1990;28:69-86.

Donna ML, Cliodna AM, Niels A, Tereza KH, Jette H, Pia T, Kyriakoula M, Raffaella K, Anna OP, et al. What are school children in Europe being taught about hygiene and antibiotic use? J Antimicrob Chemother 2011;66(suppl 5):v13-v21.

Cliodna A. M. McNulty, Donna M. Lecky, David Farrell, Patty Kostkova, Niels Adriaenssens, Tereza Koprivová Herotová, Jette Holt, Pia Touboul, Kyriakoula Merakou, Raffaella Koncan, Anna Olczak-Pienkowska, António BritoAvô, José Campos. Overview of e-Bug: an antibiotic and hygiene educational resource for schools. J Antimicrob Chemother 2011;66(suppl 5): v3-v12.

Rajasekaran M, Sivagnanam G, Thirumalaikolundusubramainan P, Namasivayam K, Ravindranath C. Injection practices in southern part of India. Public Health 2003;117:208-13.

Available from: http://www.searo.who.int/ LinkFiles/WHO_Country_Cooperation_Strategy_-_India_WHO_CCS-India_supplement.pdf. Accessed 6 August 2012.

Stoelben S, Krappweis J, Rossler G, Kirch W. Adolescents’ drug use and drug knowledge. Eur J Pediatr 2000;159:608-14.

Hameen-Anttila K, Juvonen M, Ahonen R, Bush PJ, Airaksinen M. How well can children understand medicine related topics? Patient Educ Couns 2006;60:171-8.

Menacker F, Aramburuzabala P, Minian N, Bush PJ, Bibace R. Children and medicines: what they want to know and how they want to learn. J Soc Adm Pharm 1999;16:38-52.

Bozoni K, Kalmanti M, Koukouli S. Perception and knowledge of medicines of primary schoolchildren: the influence of age and socioeconomic status. Eur J Pediatr 2006;165:42-9.

Committee on Communications. Children, adolescents and advertising. Pediatrics 2006;118:2563-9.

Downloads

Published

2017-01-31

How to Cite

Bankar, M. A., & Dudhgaonkar, S. S. (2017). Promoting the proper use of medicines in rural school children of India. International Journal of Basic & Clinical Pharmacology, 2(4), 375–380. Retrieved from https://www.ijbcp.com/index.php/ijbcp/article/view/1284

Issue

Section

Original Research Articles