Long‐term effects of an educational intervention on self‐medication and appropriate drug use in single‐sex secondary public schools, Quito, Ecuador

Abstract

What is already known about this subject• Self‐medication is extensively practised in both developed and less‐developed countries, sometimes inappropriately.• Educational intervention in secondary schools has been proven to be useful.• Most educational interventions in adolescent populations have focused on the reduction of addictive substance abuse.What this study adds• Educational intervention can improve knowledge about self‐medication and reduce misconceptions about diarrhoea, common cold and vitamins in an adolescent population.• A specific lecture followed by small working‐group seminars produces better results than a general lecture alone in terms of ‘knowledge’ and ‘attitude’.• The positive effects of the intervention are detectable even 1 year later. Yearly reinforcing interventions while in secondary school would allow long‐lasting effects.AimImproving knowledge about rational drug use at an early age may be a good way to increase the population’s awareness of health, medicines and self‐medication. We set out to evaluate the short‐ and long‐term effects of an educational intervention to promote rational drug use and self‐medication in secondary school students.MethodsA non‐randomized, controlled clinical trial. The participants were 367 female students (10–13 years old) from two secondary public schools of the metropolitan district of Quito (Ecuador). The educational campaign had two components [a specific lecture (intervention and control schools) and subsequent small working group seminars (intervention school)] providing short and clear messages of five topics related to rational drug use. The main outcome measures were an increase in ‘knowledge’ short term (1 month) and long term (up to 1 year) after intervention and the relative risk (RR) reduction in misconceptions or wrong ideas about medicine use.ResultsThe intervention group showed a significant increase in knowledge both short and long term and in comparison with the control group, mainly regarding oral rehydration salts preparation (+59.4%; P < 0.001), lack of multivitamin energizer action (+57.4%; P < 0.001), healthy growth effects (+53.3%; P < 0.001) and the perception that medicines’ promotional activities do not teach how to take care of health (+54.0%; P < 0.001). A RR reduction in misconceptions about drugs was found short term and long term. The intervention group was less predisposed to consume antidiarrhoeals [RR = 0.75, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.62, 0.92], cough suppressants (0.44, 95% CI 0.35, 0.55) and other medicines for the common cold (0.56, 95% CI 0.45, 0.70). Misconceptions concerning the benefits of multivitamin preparations were reduced in 73%; additionally, the intervention group showed a decrease in their consumption (43.9% basal; 25.3% short term and 25.6% long term; P < 0.001).ConclusionIt is possible to achieve a favourable modification of attitudes to appropriate use of medicines in a teenage population and this modification lasts at least 1 year. Continuous reinforcing interventions would allow better and long‐lasting effects and could help to fill the gap in health education of the general population.

Medication Education Provided to School‐Aged Children: A Systematic Scoping Review

“…A variety of teaching strategies were also used in individual research studies (Table 3). These studies had a focus on providing educational interventions that were administered by teachers, 18‐20 pharmacy students, 21 and medical students 22 in schools and targeted to students. Additionally, Kafle et al in Nepal included media messages in a broader health promotional approach to medication use that targeted households of students instead of the students' themselves 18 …”

“…Control groups were used in 4 of the quantitative studies. Maldonado, Melendex, and Figueras used 2 schools randomly assigned to either intervention or control, 22 while Rogers and King randomized classrooms 27 . In the 2 studies from Taiwan, 16,17 Researchers used a pre‐posttest design with a control group for the posttest only.…”

“…In Finland, early research found that teachers required not only specific teaching materials but also an understanding of the importance and relevance of medication education for students of all ages 22 . In qualitative work, Hameen‐Anttila et al found that teachers had varying levels of comfort, resulting in a variety of teaching adaptations 23 .…”

A self-medicating scale and questionnaire based drug use survey and the effect of educational intervention among healthcare professional students

“…The educational intervention has been found to improve the students' knowledge of some aspects of rational drug use and decreased the frequency of misconceptions. 21 Previous studies have revealed that educational intervention appeared to improve public knowledge of proper and safe antibiotics use, and also have highlighted the impact of tailored educational material targeting appropriate antibiotics use. Such studies suggest that such a strategy can be effective and feasible to improve patient awareness and knowledge.…”

Medication and Medication Wastage: Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of an Educational Intervention Among School Children

“…Research to gauge short- and long-term effects of an educational intervention to encourage rational drug use and self-medication among 367 female students aged 10 to 13 years found a significant increase in knowledge both in the short- and long-term. 11 Yamada et al 12 conducted an educational lecture by school pharmacists to encourage rational medication use and self-medication in junior high school students. While 42.7% of students reported lack of confidence in buying medication alone without anyone’s guidance, this was decreased to 11.7% following the intervention.…”