Use of Nonprescription and Prescription Drugs and Drug Information Sources among Breastfeeding Women in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Yukiko Fujii (), Keiko Hirokawa, Yuko Kobuke, Toshio Kubota, Taketo Yoshitake, Koichi Haraguchi, Yukiko Honda, Hatasu Kobayashi and Kouji H. Harada
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Yukiko Fujii: Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Daiichi University of Pharmacy, Fukuoka 815-8511, Japan
Keiko Hirokawa: Sankyu-Drug Ltd., Fukuoka 801-0825, Japan
Yuko Kobuke: Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Daiichi University of Pharmacy, Fukuoka 815-8511, Japan
Toshio Kubota: Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Daiichi University of Pharmacy, Fukuoka 815-8511, Japan
Taketo Yoshitake: Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Daiichi University of Pharmacy, Fukuoka 815-8511, Japan
Koichi Haraguchi: Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Daiichi University of Pharmacy, Fukuoka 815-8511, Japan
Yukiko Honda: Department of Community Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
Hatasu Kobayashi: Department of Environmental and Molecular Medicine, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Mie 514-8507, Japan
Kouji H. Harada: Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 18, 1-11

Abstract: Breastfeeding women may experience various health issues that require medication. This survey aimed to gain insights into the use of nonprescription and prescription drugs by breastfeeding women in Japan. A cross-sectional study involving women with children aged under two years was conducted in Fukuoka, Japan. Nonprescription drugs were used by 26% of participants in the breastfed-only group, 41% in the breastfed more than half the time group, 55% in the formula-fed more than half the time group, and 82% in the formula-fed-only group. We found that when breastfeeding rates decreased, the use of nonprescription drugs increased ( p < 0.05, Cochran–Armitage test for trend). There were significant differences in the use of nonprescription cold medicines and oral analgesics between the formula-fed and breastfed groups, but a nonsignificant difference in prescription drugs use between the groups. These results indicated breastfeeding had a significant influence on use of nonprescription drugs, which was not observed with prescription drugs. Breastfeeding women commonly used the Internet to obtain information on both nonprescription and prescription drugs; however, this did not influence medication use.

Keywords: breast feeding; nonprescription drugs; prescription drugs; medicine use; drug information; postpartum; Japan (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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