NEW YORK, May 29 (Reuters) -- Many junior high students report they are taking non-prescription pain medications without first checking with an adult, say Canadian researchers.
Their survey shows that most 7th, 8th, and 9th graders take medication correctly for various pains, including headache and menstrual cramps. But the new findings also indicate that some take aspirin, which is not recommended for children younger than 16 years of age because of its link to Reye syndrome -- a rare disorder which causes brain and liver damage.
The survey of 651 junior high school students in Halifax, Nova Scotia, found as many as 75% self-administer over-the-counter (OTC) pain medication -- mainly acetaminophen -- most commonly for headache; stomach pain; ear and throat pain; muscle, joint and back pain; and menstrual pains.
"We did find there was a small percentage of the adolescents -- between 6% and about 20% -- that were taking medications that may not have been appropriate," says study co-author Dr. Graham J. Reid, a psychologist at The Toronto Hospital in Canada.
Apart from the use of aspirin, Reid notes that some of the students "were taking ibuprofen for stomach pain, which may tend to irritate the stomach."
"So we know that at least in some percentage, that these children may be taking these medications in a way that they shouldn't," he says.
The survey found self-administration of pain medications widespread; 58.3% to 75.9% of the teens reported taking analgesics in the previous three months without first checking with an adult.
In addition, self-administration of the medications increased significantly from grades 7 to 9 for all types of pain, with girls tending to do so more often than boys.
On average, the adolescents reported they began to take the medications on their own between the ages of 11 and 12 years.
In a report in the May issue of Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Reid and his colleagues say survey participants obtained their OTC medications from a variety of sources, including parents, older sibling, peers, adult friend, doctor or nurse, or store.
What's murkier, however, is the information they got about the medications.
"We know who they say they got their information from, but we don't know what information they specifically received," says Reid.
"The bottom line is that the use of over-the-counter medication in this age group is quite high, and that there really needs to be a better understanding of what knowledge these adolescents have," Reid says.
"And I think it's critical that health care providers begin to explore with adolescents how they're taking their medication and provide good information," he adds. "I think it's also important for parents to be knowledgeable about over-the-counter medications so that they can help educate their children on when it's appropriate to take them."
SOURCE: Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine (1997;151:449-455)
