Self-medication among students in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences based on Health Belief Model

A Comparative Piloting of Determinants of Self-Medication Among University Students in the MENA Region; UAE and Jordan as an Example

PURPOSE

Unsupervised self-medication (SM) is a global public health concern. University students are particularly vulnerable due to misperceptions of improved academic performance and thus are at risk of dependence, addiction, and drug overdose. Past studies have shown an alarming prevalence of SM among university students in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. However, there is a scarcity of reports from the region dissecting determinants of SM. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and epidemiological correlates of SM among university students and its perceived impact on their academic performance.

METHODS

Two countries in the MENA region were surveyed in a cross-sectional design; UAE and Jordan. Through a stratified sampling technique, undergraduate students in both healthcare and non-healthcare majors of study were recruited to participate. A structured, self-administered questionnaire developed for the purpose of this study was distributed to consented participants via the university's official email. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

A total of 362 students participated in the study (74% were females, 60% were from the UAE, and 59% were in healthcare majors). Significantly higher prevalence rates and adjusted odds of SM were found among females, students from Jordan, and those in healthcare majors, particularly for paracetamol (90.2% of females [p=0.001], 88.3% from Jordan [p=0.03], 92.5% in healthcare majors [p=0.001]) and antibacterial drugs (48.9% of females [p=0.01], 60.7% from Jordan [p=0.001], 53.3% in healthcare majors [p=0.001]). Majoring in healthcare fields was the most consistent determinant of such practice, while social influences of family and friends represented the chief source of recommendation. Only 21% of respondents assumed SM boosts their academic performance.

CONCLUSION

Our pilot study underlines the predominant determinants of SM among university students in the MENA region, namely female gender, students from Jordan, and those in healthcare majors. Informed data-driven awareness campaigns to mitigate such practice should be designed to focus on these susceptible populations.

Knowledge, awareness, and attitudes toward antibiotic resistance and practice of self-medication among university students in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of self-medication is high in Bangladesh due to easy access and poor regulatory controls over these drugs. Our study aimed to assess the attitude of university students in Bangladesh toward antibiotic usage, especially their knowledge and awareness about antibiotics and their resistance. We also evaluated the determinants behind their attempts at drug intake without prescription.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University that included information from randomly selected 200 students from 15 departments using a structured questionnaire. The statistical analyses were performed by using SPSS software (version 21) and R programming.

RESULTS

The study revealed that 61.0% of the students use self-medication at different times or always; 32.5% of the respondents keep antibiotics for future use, and 38% of the students think it is right to stop antibiotics when symptoms are improving. Half of the participants (47.5%) use antibiotics based on their previous experience. The criteria of antibiotic selection have a significant relationship with knowledge about antibiotic resistance (P = 0.017) and altered prescribed medicine without doctor's advice (P < 0.001). The multivariate analysis indicates that respondents who know about antibiotic resistance select antibiotics from the community pharmacists with respect to their own experience 5.102 times higher than those who do not know about antibiotic resistance.

CONCLUSIONS

The study mainly explored the knowledge gaps of the students on the options that are responsible for antibiotic resistance in the community and found that students have mid-level knowledge (66%) about antibiotic resistance.

Self-medication among medical students at the Copperbelt University, Zambia: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Self-medication is a common practice and cause for concern globally. There is a paucity of information regarding students' self‑medication in Zambia. Therefore, this study aimed at determining the self‑medication practices among the medical students at Copperbelt University.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 334 students. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire, entered in excel, cleaned, and exported to SPSS version 21 for statistical analysis. Univariate analysis using Chi-Square or Fishers Exact test was performed. Independent predictors of self-medication practices were determined using logistic regression. Adjusted Odds ratios (AOR) and their 95% confidence intervals are reported.

RESULTS

A total of 334 medical students, with slightly more females (50.3%, n = 168), participated in the study. Of these 61.1% (n = 204) reported self-medicating. Reasons for self-medicating were the presence of long queues at health facilities and lack of time to visit the hospital. Only the year of study was independently associated with self-medicating with those in their 4th year of study being more likely to self-medicate [AOR:3.43, 95% CI: 1.52-7.73].

CONCLUSION

Students should be educated on the consequences of self-medication practices especially the rational use of antibiotics.

The effect of public health educational campaign regarding antibiotic use and microbial resistance on knowledge, attitude, and practice in the Iran

INTRODUCTION

The aim of the present study was to show the effect of public health educational campaign regarding antibiotic use and microbial resistance on knowledge, attitude, and practice of people in Isfahan.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This quasi-experimental study was conducted in October 2019 on the public population in Isfahan (a city in the center of Iran). Simple random sampling was done in ten urban areas.). A total of 708 people participated in the study. For assessing the knowledge, attitude, and practice a related researchers-made questionnaire was used in the present study. Finally, data were entered into SPSS (20) and analytical statistics including paired t-test were used. The statistical significance level was considered <0.05.

RESULTS

The majority of participants in this study were female 434 (61.9%) and the rest of them were male. The mean ± standard deviation of age was 31.68 (11.11), range of 11-67. More than 50 present of participants had a Bachelor's degree (37.7%) and diploma (27.7%). Most individuals were self-employed 277 (43.1%). About the type of marriage, 54.89% were single and others were married. Results showed that the mean of knowledge and attitude was increased after the intervention (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Increase knowledge between people, adherence to treatment and minimizes healthcare costs, however, "antibiotics are misused so often because of the belief that these are benign drugs. In the absence of urgent corrective and protective actions, the world is heading towards a postantibiotic era, in which many common infections will no longer have a cure and once again, kill unabated.

Assessment of Self-Medication Practices and Its Associated Factors among Undergraduates of a Private University in Nigeria

Background

Self-medication is the use of drugs to treat self-diagnosed disorders or symptoms or the intermittent or continued use of prescribed drug for chronic or recurrent disease or symptoms, and it is mostly common in developing countries. This study therefore assessed the practice of self-medication among undergraduate students of a private university in Nigeria.

Methods

The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design. A pretested questionnaire was self-administered to 384 undergraduate students of the university. Data were analysed and summarised using descriptive and inferential statistics such as chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests.

Results

Overall, 297 (81.8%) undergraduate students practiced self-medication. About 71% of the students had used analgesic, antibiotics (10.5%), and antimalarial drugs (33%) without prescription within one month prior to the survey. The most commonly used drug for self-medication was paracetamol (75.1%). Furthermore, self-medication was found to be significantly associated with age (p=0.021), gender (p < 0.001), college (p=0.025), and year of study (p=0.004). Some of the reasons why undergraduate students practiced self-medication were because of the unfriendly attitude of health care workers (27.7%), lack of time to go to school clinic (26.7%), school clinic is too far from hostel (15.3%), and drugs prescribed in the school clinic do not improve health condition (15.3%).

Conclusion

Majority of the students attributed the practice of self-medication to unfriendly attitude of health care workers in the university clinic.

Observations on the Prevalence, Characteristics, and Effects of Self-Treatment

Aims

When facing illness, a person may choose self-treatment as an alternative to hospital (and primary care)-based treatment. Despite its important role in health care, the study on self-treatment remains limited. The goal is to collectively report the observations in the literature on the prevalence, characteristics, and effects of self-treatment.

Methods

Databases (Medline/PubMed and Google Scholar) were searched. Articles were scrutinized for country of origin, sample size, recall period, prevalence, associated factors, etc.

Results

Published studies have reported that in some regions, the prevalence of self-treatment is high and varies across illness conditions and treatment approaches. Self-medication is the most popular self-treatment approach. Multiple regional, demographic, personal, cultural, and religious factors have been implicated in the pursuit of self-treatment. In addition, accessibility of health care also plays a role. In general, self-treatment has a positive clinical and financial effect. However, there have been concerns on abuse and possible negative effects.

Conclusion

This article reviews observations made in recent studies on several important aspects of self-treatment. Comprehensive and systematic study is still lacking. Interventions are needed to solve several problems associated with self-treatment.