Self-medication among Brazilian schoolchildren during the Covid-19 pandemic
frequency and associated factors
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35699/2178-1990.2025.62482Keywords:
self medication, COVID-19, child, adolescentAbstract
Introduction: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), self-medication is defined as the use of medicinal products without medical indication or professional guidance, to treat self-diagnosed conditions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this practice may have intensified among children due to social isolation, making it essential to investigate its associated factors.
Aim: To assess the frequency of self-medication and the factors associated with this practice among Brazilian schoolchildren during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample of 128 parents/guardians and their children aged 8–15 years from a public school in Maravilhas, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Participants were interviewed by a trained researcher via telephone call. Information was collected on sociodemographic characteristics of the children and their families, self-medication practices among schoolchildren and their parents/guardians during the Covid-19 pandemic, history of Covid-19 among household members, and the presence of social isolation. Fear of Covid-19 was assessed using the Brazilian version of The Fear of Covid-19 Scale. Descriptive analyses and unadjusted and adjusted Poisson regression analyses were performed (p < 0.05; 95% CI) using SPSS software, version 25.
Results: Self-medication among children/adolescents was reported by 19.5% of the interviewed parents/guardians. The final model showed that children/adolescents whose parents/guardians practiced self-medication had a 6.80-fold higher frequency of self-medication (95% CI: 3.29–14.08; p < 0.001) compared with those whose parents/guardians did not self-medicate.
Conclusion: The frequency of self-medication among children and adolescents during the Covid-19 pandemic was 19.5% and was significantly associated with self-medication practices among their parents/guardians.
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