Influence of Attitudes, Beliefs, and Socioeconomic Status on Caregivers' Decision-Making about OTC Medications Cough and Cold Medications in Preschool Children

摘要

The use of over-the-counter (OTC) medication is an essential part of health carein the United States. The use of OTC medications for children is a particularly important topic as early research found that OTC medications may be used in lieu of obtaining medical care. When the types of medications received by the children were studied, it was found that Tylenol was given 66.7% of the time, cough and cold medications (CCM) 66.7%, and other pain relievers 6.9%. Factors affecting the mother's or caretaker's decision to medicate a child can include attitudes and beliefs regarding children's health, sociodemographic characteristics, and the effectiveness of the medications. The researchers concluded that the higher the socioeconomic status and educational level of the mother, the more OTC medications the children were likely to receive.