The Knowledge and Attitudes about the Benefits, Risks and Use of Medicine in Aged Primary Students in Indonesia

BACKGROUND: Medication always has a ratio of benefits and risks to become a safety measure. Therefore, its use must be careful, especially for children, because it can potentially occur drug incidents in children. As drug users, children are required to be active in using it, but children’s knowledge and attitudes about benefits, risks (dangers) and use of medicine are still very shallow and fragmented. AIM: This study aims to look at the description of children’s knowledge and attitudes about medicine from the perspective of the benefits, risks or dangers and use of medicine and the factors that influence them. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted by the analytic method with a cross-sectional approach using a questionnaire instrument in grade V elementary school-age children in Padang City, Indonesia. The total sample size obtained was 503 students. RESULTS: The results showed that children’s knowledge of medicine was generally categorised as low, with an average score of 4.70 (SD 1.82) from a scale of 9. Knowledge of drug use was much lower, namely the average score of 1.21 (0.74), followed by knowledge of drug hazards an average score of 1.69 (1.03) and drug benefits an average score of 1.80 (0.69). Age variables, address of residence, family income, the existence of families working as health workers and sources of drug information significantly influence students knowledge (P < 0.05). Whereas students attitudes towards medicine tend to be more positive with an average score of 7.18 (1.77), where the average score of attitudes towards benefits, risks (hazards) and drug use are 1.79 (0.46), respectively, 1.10 (0.58) and 4.29 (1.37). Address of residence, companion during illness, achievement in school and experience in hospital care have a significant effect on student attitudes (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study concluded that indicate that students knowledge of benefits, risks and use of medicine is still low and very limited. While related to student attitudes, in general, it tends to be more positive, except about the dangers of medicine that show a negative attitude. The low level of knowledge and limited attitudes of children are the reason for the need for drug education given to children, especially in schools as an integral part of health education.