Self-medication with common household medicines by young adolescents

Our study examines the self-medication practices of children ages 10-14. We developed a questionnaire that addressed several aspects of such behavior. A convenience sample of subjects (n = 86) completed the questionnaires in school settings in a northeastern metropolitan area. The data showed that a vast majority of the adolescents (89%) have access to the medicine in their households: 36% of them medicated themselves the last time they had any medicine. Most of their medication choices were appropriate, except in the area of gastrointestinal problems. There is a need for further investigation of this issue and incorporating the findings into the practice of pediatric nurses.