Pediatric self-medication use in Rwanda - a cross sectional study.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Global Health

Background:

• Self-medication is a global practice with inherent benefits and risks.
• In Rwanda, the absence of prescription requirements facilitates the use of prescription, non-prescription, and traditional medications for self-medication.
• This practice extends to pediatric care, with parents making independent decisions regarding medication for their children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of self-medication among children in Rwanda.
• To understand parental attitudes and motivations behind self-medicating their children.
• To differentiate between modern and traditional self-medication practices and their associated factors.

Main Methods:

• A quantitative, cross-sectional, multi-center study was conducted.
• Data was collected from 154 parents/caregivers of children under ten years old.
• Questionnaires were administered in both private and public health facilities.

Main Results:

• Self-medication use was reported by 77.9% of participants.
• Modern self-medication was used by 50.8%, traditional by 15.8%, and both by 33.3%.
• Paracetamol was the most common modern drug; Rwandan local herbs were used traditionally. Parental confidence was higher with modern medicines. Barriers to consultation were a key reason for modern self-medication. Factors associated with self-medication included having multiple children under ten. Age over 30 and living in Kigali were associated with preferring modern over traditional self-medication.

Conclusions:

• Self-medication is a widespread practice among parents in Rwanda for children under ten.
• Parental socio-demographic background does not preclude involvement in self-medication.
• Understanding the drivers of modern versus traditional self-medication is crucial for targeted health interventions.