Healthy children's perceptions of medicines: a review.
BACKGROUND
Chronically ill children's perceptions of medicines have been widely studied, but healthy children's less often. However, information on healthy children's beliefs and attitudes about medicine use is needed to be able to target health education messages about medicines appropriately.


OBJECTIVE
A literature review was performed to determine schoolchildren's attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge about medicines; autonomy in using medicines; expectations of using medicines; and questions about medicines, so as to guide the development of a medicine education curriculum and to inform health care professionals who communicate with children.


METHODS
This study was a review of literature from 17 countries.


RESULTS
The review indicated that children of school age tend to view medicines cautiously. Although age is a factor, children have very limited ideas about how medicines work and issues around medicine efficacy are confusing to them. Even young children recognize that medicines may have harmful effects and, children of all ages and cultures studied want to learn more about medicines. Autonomy in medicine use is surprisingly high and disturbing given that knowledge of medicines is poor.


CONCLUSIONS
Primary conclusions drawn are (1) children of the same age in different cultures appear similar in their attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and desires to learn about medicines; (2) children lack information about medicines, especially in view of their levels of autonomy; and (3) health educators and health care professionals should educate children about rational medicine use, at appropriate cognitive development levels, before the children become independent medicine users.
Hämeen-Anttila
Katri
K
Department of Social Pharmacy, University of Kuopio, P.O. Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland. katri.hameen-anttila@uku.fi
Bush
Patricia J
PJ
D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D003469:Culture; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations