title: Parental attitudes toward medicine use in children in Finland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim was to describe parental attitudes towards medicine use in children, and the factors associated with them.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional population survey of a random sample of children under 12 years of age (n = 6,000) was carried out in Finland in the spring of 2007, with a response rate of 67%.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire was sent to their parents. A Principal Component Analysis was conducted for the attitudinal scale to determine parental attitudes.
  
  
  METHODS
  An attitudinal scale including 21 items on five-point Likert scale was used to determine parental attitudes towards medicines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five principal components with 18 statements explained parental attitudes: General attitude towards medicines, Attitude towards prescription medicines, Attitude towards OTC medicines, Attitude towards the risks of medicines, and Attitude towards long-term use of pain-killers. These components were internally consistent and explained 54.7% of the total variance. Of the respondents, 15% were cautious towards medicine use, 84% agreed that prescription medicines are safe and effective, whereas 49% thought so about OTC medicines. Of the respondents, 69% were worried about the risks of medicines, especially parents older than 46 years, with a low level of education, who used medicinal herbs themselves, and had a child with a long-term illness. Moreover, 46% of the respondents were worried about the long-term use of pain-killers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This population based study showed that the parental attitudes toward prescription medicines and toward OTC medicines are different: many parents consider prescription medicines as safe and effective, less think so of OTC medicines. A considerable proportion of parents had worries about side effects and interactions. This stresses the need to address these topics in encounters with parents.
authors.affiliation: Finnish Medicines Agency, Microkatu 1, Kuopio, P.O. Box 55, 00301, Helsinki, Finland. katri.hameen-anttila@fimea.fi
authors.forename: Katri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hämeen-Anttila
authors.forename: Pirjo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Halonen
authors.forename: Sanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Siponen
authors.forename: Miina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holappa
authors.forename: Riitta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ahonen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D055553:Prescription Drugs; D025341:Principal Component Analysis
chemical_list: D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D055553:Prescription Drugs