Children’s perspectives on the acceptability of medicine, how to assess acceptability and the development of the Theoretical Framework of Children’s Medicine Acceptability: a qualitative study

Abstract Objectives To explore children’s perspectives on the acceptability of medicines and ranking scales. Methods Interpretive reflexive child-centred qualitative design using arts-based worksheets, an activity booklet, exploration of ranking scales and conversations between the children and with the researcher. Key findings Children aged 5–12 years can provide clear insights into factors affecting the acceptability of medicine and child-centred ways of assessing acceptability. These insights led to novel outcomes: a child-centred definition of the acceptability of medicine, children’s preferences in relation to ranking scales, and the Theoretical Framework of Children’s Medicine Acceptability (TF-CMA), a novel theoretically based framework that includes core aspects of medicine acceptability that have previously been over-looked. Conclusions Involving children in acceptability research is key to understanding their perspectives on a broad range of factors; cognitive and affective attitudes are key components to consider in relation to acceptability. Future studies should consider using the TF-CMA as a framework for acceptability assessment in children’s medicines. Children should be involved in designing child-friendly, engaging assessment measures.