title: Association of maternal self-medication and over-the-counter analgesics for children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Self-medication with over-the-counter (OTC) analgesics, such as paracetamol (PCM), among children and adolescents is increasing and constitutes an important public health issue internationally. Reasons for this development are unclear; parental influence is suggested. Our objective was to examine whether self-medication with OTC analgesics among school-aged children is influenced by maternal self-reported health and medicine use, taking the child's frequency of pain into account.
  
  
  METHODS
  A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted on 131 children aged 6 to 11 years and their mothers in the framework of the Demonstration Of A Study To Coordinate And Perform Human Biomonitoring On A European Scale (DEMOCOPHES) European project. Participants were selected from 1 urban and 1 rural area of Denmark, and equally distributed in age and gender. Data were collected through structured interviews with all children and self-report questionnaires for mothers regarding health, pain, and medicine use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjusting for several sociodemographic and health parameters, maternal use of OTC analgesics was significantly associated with self-medication with OTC analgesics, particularly PCM, in our population of schoolchildren, even when the child's pain was adjusted for (odds ratio 3.00, P = .008). A clear association between child pain and OTC analgesic use was not found. Additionally, maternal health (self-rated health, chronic pain, chronic disease, daily medicine intake) did not significantly influence child use of OTC analgesics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal self-medication with OTC analgesics is associated with self-medication of OTC analgesics, predominantly PCM, among school-aged children, perhaps more than the child's pain. Maternal health seems of less importance. Information to parents about pain self-management is important to promote appropriate PCM use among schoolchildren.
authors.affiliation: Section of Environmental Health and.
authors.forename: Janne Fangel
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Mathilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gottschau
authors.forename: Volkert Dirk
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Siersma
authors.forename: Anette Hauskov
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Graungaard
authors.forename: Bjørn Evald
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Holstein
authors.forename: Lisbeth Ehlert
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Knudsen
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012651:Self Medication / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D000082:Acetaminophen
keywords: children; medicine use; pain; paracetamol; parents