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Adolescents' knowledge and perception of medicine risk
Zuzana Klimaszova1, Tomas Fazekas2, Magdalena Kuzelova1
1Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia.
Summary
Adolescent medicine knowledge and risk perception vary by age, gender, and health status. Healthcare providers should tailor education to these factors for safer medicine use.
Area of Science:
- Adolescent Health
- Pharmacology Education
- Public Health
Background:
- Adolescents often use medicines without adequate knowledge, increasing risks of misuse.
- Independent medicine use in adolescents necessitates understanding their knowledge and perceptions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate adolescents' knowledge and perception of medicine effectiveness and risks.
- To explore associations between medicine knowledge/perception and health status, age, and gender.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire-based survey was administered to 13-18-year-old secondary school students.
- Data collected included medicine knowledge, perceived effectiveness, risk perception, health status, age, and gender.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in medicine knowledge and risk perception were observed across age groups, gender, and health status.
- Older adolescents and girls demonstrated greater medicine knowledge and lower agreement on prescription medicine safety/effectiveness.
- Chronically ill adolescents showed better knowledge of allergy medicines but perceived prescription medicines as less effective for improving health.
Conclusions:
- Adolescents' medicine knowledge and risk perception are influenced by their age, gender, and health status.
- Healthcare professionals must consider these demographic and health factors when educating adolescents about medicines.
- Tailored educational strategies are crucial for promoting safe and appropriate medicine use among adolescents.