A hospital-based cross-sectional study on parental self‑medication among children in a tertiary care hospital in Kolkata

Introduction: Self-medication/self-prescription, the practice of using measures to treat and handle diseases, without consulting appropriate authority, has been significantly inculcated in modern society. Parental self-medication is today a significant paediatric public health problem contributing to global rise of antimicrobial resistance.Objectives: To assess the magnitude and determinants of parental self-medication among children attending a tertiary care hospital in Kolkata.  Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted on parents of 105 children attending the paediatric clinic of a tertiary care hospital in Kolkata. Universal sampling was employed. Parents were surveyed by face-to-face interview using a pre-tested semi-structured interview schedule validated by subject experts. Information on pattern, reasons, and perception of parental self-medication were elicited from the schedule. Microsoft Excel and STATA MP16 were used for statistical analysis.  Results: Mean ages of the parents and their children were 31.79±5.6 years, and 5.3±2.9 years respectively. Prevalence of parental self-medication was 78.1% (95% CI: 69-85%). Analgesic-antipyretics were the most common type of medicine used during self-medication (77.1%), whereas prior experience in dealing with similar illness was the most common reason (42%) for practising self-medication. Higher educational levelof respondent parent and increased age of child (>3 years) were significantly associated with the practice of self-medication in bivariate analysis.Conclusions: Prevalence of parental self-medication was 78.1%. Analgesic-antipyretics were used during self-medication in 77.1% cases. Prior experience in dealing with similar illness was the reason for practising self-medication in 42% cases. Higher educational level of the respondent parent and increased age of child (>3 years) were significantly associated with the practice of self-medication.