Publikationsserver der RWTH Aachen University
Kinder und Medikamente : Ergebnisse einer Elternbefragung im Kreis Aachen 2005
Abstract
dc:descriptionThe present thesis work involves a descriptive assessment of the survey concerning drug consumption among third-year primary school pupils in the Aachen district. A parents’ survey concerning drug consumption by these children was already conducted three years ago on enrolment in school. The current inquiry is now directed towards the same basic population in order to be able to detect any possible shifts in drug consumption and discover reasons for these changes. In order to establish comparability of the studies, the questionnaire from the first study was used and was merely supplemented with a number of aspects. During the past 12 months, 94.6% of the children surveyed received a drug on at least one occasion. The drug group most frequently administered involved drugs against coughs and colds (84.5%), followed by antipyretics (71.3%), analgesics (52.9%) and antibiotics (51.5%). In the case of analgesics and antipyretics, inquiries were also made about the active substance used. The survey showed that paracetamol is the one most frequently employed. Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) however is still used as an analgesic in 3.5% of cases and as an antipyretic in 1.6% of cases. Also of particular interest was inquiry about drugs against hyperactivity. Between the moment of enrolment in school and the present time, consumption of these drugs increased from 0.3% to 3.0%. In a comparison throughout Federal Germany however, which assumes a prevalence of 6% among 6 to 10-year-olds, this value is therefore within a rather low range for this age group. For the drug prescriptions, the focal point was the percentage of self-medication. This percentage was at its highest with 46.6% for vitamin and mineral preparations, followed by analgesics (23.3%), cough and cold drugs (22.6%) and antipyretic substances (19.2%). In differentiating the consumption behaviour as a function of social status, it was not possible to detect any significant difference in frequency of administration. However, there were major differences between the strata for the self-medication rate. Differentiation was also made according to the parents’ country of birth. In this case, significant differences in self-medication and consumption behaviour were observed as a function of migration background. Based on these results, a prevention programme should be applied that places emphasis on information about the analgesics and their undesirable effects, particularly the risks of Reye’s syndrome, in addition to sensible use of vitamin and mineral preparations. A moderate approach to drugs should also be made more accessible to parents. Schools, kindergartens, physicians’ practices and pharmacies should be included as the background for this prevention programme. Children are approachable above all at school and in the day-care facilities, whereas the information materials in physicians’ practices and pharmacies and topic-related parents’ evenings in the schools and kindergartens mainly serve to educate parents. The main aim in the prevention work should be to encourage parents’ competence with regard to drug consumption and create awareness among them that drug consumption is not always the means of choice. The local health authority of the district of Aachen, which is able to ensure implementation of the project throughout the whole district, is suitable in this case as a supraordinate body in coordinating the prevention programme.
Degree
thesis:*- Grantor dc:publisher
- Publikationsserver der RWTH Aachen University
- Year dc:date
- 2009
Author and committee
dc:creator, dc:contributor.*- Author dc:creator
-
- Franchy, Dietrich
- Contributors dc:contributor
-
- Dott, Wolfgang
Subjects
dc:subject × 11Rights
dc:rights- Statement dc:rights
-
- info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
- Language dc:language
- ger