KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE OF SELF-MEDICATION AMONG PEOPLE OF CENTRAL MONROVIA, LIBERIA

Abstract

Self-medication practices is slowly becoming a world problem, where in people just take anything, they consider as medicine without knowing the health implications it has, as long as it’s been suggested to solve their problem. Despite individual’s educational background and occupation, the individual’s one way or the other practice self-mediation. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of self-medication among citizens of three selected communities in central Monrovia namely Broad Street, Waterside and Benson Street. The study was cross sectional, with 200 people in central Monrovia been interviewed by random sampling. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire. A statistical data analysis was done using Microsoft excel 2016. Out of the 200 people sampled a total of 143 (71.5%) practice self-medication, while 57 (28.5%) do not practice self-medication. From the 143 persons that practice self-medication, 75 (52.5%) were male while 68 (47.5) were female. From the study findings the most common reason for people self-medicating is there feel there is no need to visit the doctor for minor illness that they can treat themselves and the most self-medicated drugs category is analgesic (47.41%) and antimalarial (32.31%), the illness most self-medicated for is headache (30.8). The prevalence of self-medication in Liberia is high, respondent knowledge on self-medication is good, but the attitude and practice towards it is wrong.