مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - Determining Mothers’ Knowledge and Applications of Keeping Conditions of Medicine Which Are Used At Home

Abstract :

Purpose: This study reports the knowledge and applications of keeping conditions of medicine that mothers use at home. Methods: Research was conducted with mothers of children aged 0-12 who were treated on pediatric wards of two university hospitals between November 2008-March 2009. Research was completed by 202 mothers who were selected by using simple random sampling method. Data were collected using a questionnaire prepared by the researchers. In evaluation, percentage, mean and chi-square test were used. Results: According to the results of the study, it was determined that 51.4% of the mothers involved in the study were in the age group 26-35, 69.8% were primary school graduated and 87.1% were housewives, 65.3% lived in the nuclear family. It is found that 50.9% of mothers check the expiry date of medicines per three months and most of them (93%) keep the medicines in their boxes. Likewise, it is found that 65.3% of mothers indicated that they need to know how to keep medicines. There is significantly difference between mothers’ education levels and ages, between reading the instructions of how to keep medicines and checking the expiry date, between mothers’ working status, knowing where and what condition the drug is stored and having firstaid box at home statistically (p 0.05). Conclusıon: Based on the results of the study, mothers wasted the medicines due to not to obey storage conditions and they are willing to be informed about how to keep and use medicines. In the light of these results, mothers can be informed about use and storage of the medicines at home and proper disposal of expired drugs by health professionals.