Table 2.
Parents’ use of NHPs in their children: The 137 children who were taking NHPs were taking a total of 180 NHPs; 110 of these were vitamins.
| CHARACTERISTICS OF NHP USE | N (%) |
|---|---|
| NHP | |
| • Vitamins | 110 (61.1) |
| • Teas | 7 (3.9) |
| • Echinacea | 3 (1.7) |
| • Fish or omega oils | 13 (7.2) |
| • Other | 47 (26.1) |
| Vitamins | |
| • Multivitamins | 89 (80.9) |
| • Vitamin D | 16 (14.5) |
| • Vitamin C | 5 (4.5) |
| Age of the child when the NHP was started | |
| • < 1 y | 30 (16.7) |
| • 1–4 y | 84 (46.7) |
| • 5–8 y | 32 (17.8) |
| • 9–12 y | 9 (5.0) |
| • Age not given | 25 (13.9) |
| Reasons for using NHP | |
| • General health | 91 (50.6) |
| • Prevent colds, prevent infections, boost immune system | 21 (11.7) |
| • Skin conditions | 7 (3.9) |
| • GI conditions | 9 (5.0) |
| • Other | 30 (16.7) |
| • No reason given | 22 (12.1) |
| Informed physician of use of NHP | 81 (45.0) |
| Experienced side effects | 8 (4.4) |
| Noticed a benefit of taking NHP | 93 (51.7) |
| Main source of information about NHP | |
| • Physician | 32 (17.8) |
| • Family or friends | 65 (36.1) |
| • Media | 18 (10.0) |
| • Other | 65 (36.1) |
| Where did you purchase the NHP? | |
| • Drugstore | 116 (64.4) |
| • Natural health store | 19 (10.6) |
| • Other | 45 (25.0) |
| Children with a chronic health condition | 85 (62.0)* |
| • Children who took NHPs for their chronic health conditions | 7 (8.2) |
| • Children who took prescribed or OTC medications for their chronic health conditions | 62 (72.9) |
GI—gastrointestinal, NHP—natural health product, OTC—over the counter.
*
Proportion of the 137 children who had taken NHPs.