A cross-sectional survey among parents to report challenges and barriers in the administration of medicines to children in United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Background: Lack of knowledge among parents can result in inappropriate administration practices. After analyzing different studies among children, there was no data on challenges and barriers in the administration of medicines among children in this region because of the diverse environmental issues and challenges in the UAE. The objective of this study was to determine the reported administration practices of parents and challenges and barriers in the administration of medicines among children in UAE. Methods: A questionnaire-based survey was conducted. A convenience sampling technique was used to collect the data. An online Raosoft® sample size calculator was applied (n = 248). The inclusion criteria were parents who had a child under 10 years of age and gave consent to participate in this study. Children with vision problems, cognitive/physical disabilities, and caregivers other than parents were excluded from this study. Results: The study reported response rate of 73.2%. The mean ± S.D age of the parents in years was 35.5 ± 7.8, and the mean ± S.D of children aged years was 2.60 ± 1.54. 26.2% of parents reported treatment failure due to oral medicine administration. A total of 22.2% of parents reported that they gave medicines in doses higher than prescribed by the doctor to treat their children more quickly. Similarly, a total of 64.5% of the parents reported self-medication without consultation from a healthcare provider. Conclusions: The study concluded that there were inappropriate medicine administration practices among parents. Parents reported administration of higher doses to treat their children quickly.

Keywords: children; drug administration; parents’ perceptions; pediatric dosing; swallowing problems.