Frequency and Related Factors in Self Medication within Children Referring To the Specialized Clinic of the Sheikh Hospital

Introduction: Self- Medication is a major problem in the treatment cycle. The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency and factors affecting self-medication in children were referred to the Sheikh Hospital's clinic of Mashhad. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 198 children who were referred to the Sheikh Hospital's clinic. The sampling was according to census method. The data-gathering tool was a researcher-made questionnaire for parents. Data analysis was performed using SPSS20 software and descriptive statistics. Results: Of the 198 cases studied, 161 (81.6%) of the parents had self-medication for their child. The most commonly reported cases of self-medication were colds (64.1%), fever (60.1%) and digestive diseases (17.7%). Antipyretics (66.2%), common cold drugs (57.6%), anti-cough drugs (30.8%), and antibiotics (24.7%) were the most commonly used drugs. The lack of access or expensive visit of the physician (60%), availability and easy access to drugs (60%), and previous self-medication experience (50%) were the most important factors influencing the self-medication. There was a significant relationship between father's education (P = 0.006), mother's education (P = 0.001) and family income (P = 0.03) with self-medication; and in very high or very low education, or low family income self-medication increased. Conclusions: Preventive measures seem to be necessary. In this regard, provision of training programs to inform the community about the dangers of self-medication, as well as adoption of preventive measures from the relevant institutions could be suggested.