Drug knowledge of expatriate adolescents in the United Arab Emirates and their attitudes towards self-medication

Abstract

Adolescents have limited knowledge about medicines and their potential adverse effects. In this context, we aimed to investigate the basic knowledge of medicines, any differences in knowledge related to practice of self-medication (SM), attitudes towards SM and sources of information about medicines among expatriate adolescents in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 324 students from four schools in the UAE using a self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 19. The sample of multi-ethnic students, with ages ranging from 14 to 19 years, was almost equally distributed between the genders. A total of 289 students reported to be self-medicating. More than 60% of adolescents had responded incorrectly to eight questions related to knowledge about medicines. There were no significant differences between mean scores for drug knowledge (maximum score=22) of self-medicating adolescents (12.1±4.32; SMAs) and those not practicing SM (12±4.53; NSMAs). Self-assessment of drug knowledge was perceived as good by 33% and satisfactory by 34% of SMAs. The majority of adolescents (87%) believed that SM was acceptable and reported being aware of its advantages and disadvantages. Parents and pharmacists were common sources of information about medicines. The participants showed a positive inclination towards SM. The SMAs and NSMAs had similar knowledge about medicines. However, gaps in knowledge may lead to drug misuse and toxicity. Healthcare providers, pharmacists, educators and parents should be actively involved in health education strategies for rational use of medicines among adolescents in the UAE.