The Attitudes of Parents Having Children of 5 to 11 Years on the Use of Painkillers

Abstract

Objective: A wide variety of pain experiences are experienced during childhood. Children and parents may be inadequate in managing these pains. Parents may not want to use painkillers because they are afraid of the side effects of analgesics or that they are addictive. Little is known about parental attitudes in this context in Turkey. This study was planned to determine the attitudes of parents who have 5-11 aged children to administer pain medication. Methods: This research was conducted in descriptive type and the purposeful sampling method, one of the nonprobability sampling methods, was used in this study. The study was carried out in a primary school located in a town in the south of Turkey. Sociodemographic Data Collection Form and The Medication Attitudes Questionnaire which was prepared by the researchers by examining the literature, was used to collect the data. The sample of the study consisted of 395 parents. Results: It was found that sociodemographic variables parents' did not affect the use of painkillers. It is seen that most of the parents have inadequate information and training about the use, effects, frequency of use, and side effects of analgesics. Conclusion: It was determined that parents used various non-pharmacological treatments to manage their children's pain. In this context, it is seen that everyone should be made aware, without making any distinction between parents.