Assessing the Effects of Medical Information on Parental Self-Medication Behaviors for Children's Health: A Comparative Analysis.

Background and Objectives: Health professionals have voiced concerns about the danger of self-medication in times of growing use of over-the-counter medicines and, in some contexts, the unregulated selling of them. Previous research has examined the incidence of parental self-medication as well as the use and abuse of antibiotics without medical advice. However, these studies have limited evidence on the role of family doctors and the perceived severity of self-medication in the case of parents. Based on the Health Belief Model, our research tested the effects of exposure to medical information on the parents' attitudes toward self-treating their children, without medical advice. Specifically, we aimed to assess whether exposure to information warning about the risks of treating children without a medical prescription influences parents' attitudes toward administering medicines to their children without medical advice. Materials and Methods: 210 parents engaged in the study, and were divided into two groups. One group was exposed to educational materials related to the perils of self-medication and the second one was not. All participants answered the same questionnaire and the answers were compared between the two groups. Results: The results showed that our respondents evaluated the practices of self-medication negatively (a higher score indicates a more negative evaluation), especially when it came to treating their children without medical advice (3.91 ± 1.04 for unexposed and 3.98 ± 1.08 for exposed). However, their attitudes towards self-medication varied depending on their beliefs about administering certain medications. Both those exposed to the warning information and those who were not exposed have agreed that they are unable to avoid treatment of their ill child without medical advice. Conclusions: In general, our respondents evaluate negatively the practices of self-medication, especially the treatment of their children without medical advice. Therefore, future health education campaigns need to be targeted specifically, with messages that guide how to act in particular cases depending on the medication used and the child's condition.

Patterns and Factors Associated with Self-Medication among the Pediatric Population in Romania.

Background and objectives: Self-medication is a global phenomenon in both developed and emerging countries. At present, data regarding the practice, patterns, and factors associated with self-medication in Romanian patient groups of various ages and health are relatively scarce. A pilot study that uses a questionnaire was conducted to observe the attitudes as well as the behaviors of a group of Romanian parents related to self-medication, specifically their beliefs and perceived risks of the administration of medicine to their children without medical advice, frequency of self-medications, symptoms, and types of medications most commonly used without medical advice. Materials and Methods: The questionnaire was sent via e-mail or WhatsApp link on a mobile phone using the existing data at the general practitioner's office together with the protection of data form and the informed consent form; some participants completed the questionnaire when they came for a regular visit at the general practitioner's office. Of 246 applied questionnaires, we had a rate of responses of 98%. Results: We found a high percentage (70%) of parents who self-medicate their children. The data reveals a significant relation between parents' beliefs on self-medication and their tendency to administrate drugs to their children without medical advice. A significant relation was also found between the likelihood of parental self-medication for their children and the number of illnesses experienced by their children over the six-month period prior to the survey. Even when parents have a correct understanding of self-medication risks, these are not aligned with actual behavior; therefore, parents continue to administer drugs to their children without medical advice. Conclusions: Our study helps to describe the patterns of parents' decisions about self-medicating their children and to identify parents who are more predisposed to administering self-medication to their children.

Self-Medication Patterns during a Pandemic: A Qualitative Study on Romanian Mothers' Beliefs toward Self-Treatment of Their Children.

Self-medication represents a significant healthcare and health policy issue worldwide, both in developed and underdeveloped countries. Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic is considered a relevant context that could subtly trigger self-medication behavior because of limited access to health care services and the threat of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. While the previous research conducted with quantitative methodologies reported a dramatically increased rate of self-medication around the world, qualitative inquiries on the subjective experience with self-medicine remain scarce in medical and related fields of study. For this purpose, a qualitative study with semi-structured interviews was undertaken to better understand how Romanian mothers (n = 18) applied self-treatment with their children by avoiding medical advice during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that the COVID-19 pandemic did not affect the prevalence of self-medicine among the pediatric population as parents achieved a degree of awareness of self-treatment of their children due to the general context of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Assessment of the risk of infection among Romanian physicians at the outbreak of the SARS CoV-2 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: In March 2020, the WHO declared the SARS CoV-2 pandemic. This had an immediate and dramatic impact on Romanian physicians. OBJECTIVES: To analyse SARS-CoV-2 risk perception among Romanian physicians following the official WHO pandemic announcement. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to Romanian physicians (n = 319) between 13 and 27 of March 2020 to determine the perceived threat of exposure to SARS CoV-2 infection, the assessment COVID-19 sources of documentation, physicians' access to personal protective equipment and the attitude towards a prospective vaccine against SARS CoV-2. RESULTS: Confronted with a new and unknown disease, the lack of appropriate information regarding disease management, media pressure and the lack of protective equipment, physicians experiencing a highly stressful a period. We found a significant relationship between the perceived level of fear and the risk of infection with SARS CoV-2 among respondents. A relationship was also found between the perceived level of fear related to COVID-19 and the acceptance of future vaccines against SARS CoV-2. Our data show that doctors working in urban areas considered the medical research on COVID-19 as clearer than those working in rural locations did. CONCLUSION: Pandemic preparedness should focus on measures that make medical practice safe (supplies, working protocols, experience sharing with experts/colleagues from other countries).