Adolescent and Parent Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions of Harm of Household Controlled Medications

Abstract

Introduction: Adolescents learn knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors from their parents, yet little is known about how these attributes are associated with management of household controlled prescription medications. We aimed to assess adolescent and parent: 1) knowledge and attitudes regarding household controlled medications, including previous healthcare counseling; 2) perceptions of harm of medication misuse and diversion; and 3) potential associations of these attributes with household management. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with paired data using brief, online, confidential surveys of adolescents and parents via an adolescent medicine clinic associated with a large academic center. Eligible adolescents were aged 12–18 years old with at least one controlled prescription medication in the home. Data collection and analysis occured in 2017–2018. Results: Of the 243 adolescent-parent dyads, many adolescents and parents had: low knowledge (15%; 6%), risky attitudes (31%; 32%), received healthcare counseling on safe management of controlled medications (30%; 96%), and low perceived harm of adolescent diversion (39%; 49%). Parents practicing unsafe household management were 2.4 (95% CI = 1.3, 4.3) times as likely to have risky attitudes. Adolescents with families practicing unsafe medication management were 3.7 (95% CI = 1.1, 10.4) times as likely to have low perceptions of harm from diversion. Conclusions: Many adolescents and parents have low knowledge, risky attitudes, and low perceptions of harm of adolescent diversion, some of which are associated with unsafe household medication management. Providers should aim to utilize interventions to improve these attributes for adolescents and parents to enhance safe household medication management.

Keywords:

• Controlled prescription medications
• adolescent and parent attitudes
• perception of harm from adolescent diversion

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

Health Services and Research Administration, NRSA for Primary Medical Care T32HP22240 Research Funds. Funding was also provided by DA035464, DA040213, and the University of Pittsburgh Clinical and Translational Science Institute which is supported by UL1TR001857. None of the sponsors/funders participated in any way in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; and preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript.