Self medication practice and associated factors among students of Asmara College of Health Sciences, Eritrea: a cross sectional study

Zenawi Zeramariam Araia,Araia Berhane Mesfun,Nahom Kiros Gebregziabher

doi:10.1186/s40545-019-0165-2

Zenawi Zeramariam Araia, Araia Berhane Mesfun + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40545-019-0165-2

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Abstract

BackgroundSelf-medication is a common practice globally and the resulting irrational drug use is raising concerns. Up-to-date there is no systematic study conducted on self medication practice among students or the general community in Eritrea. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of self-medication practice and its influencing factors among students of Asmara College of Health Science.MethodsA cross sectional study was conducted from 21st May -15th June 2018. Data on self medication practice and its associated factors was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Data analysis was done using SPSS − 23 and explained with descriptive and inferential statistics.ResultsA total of 313 students responded to the questionnaire with a response rate of 93.6%. The overall prevalence of self-medication practice was 79.2%. Headache and fever were reported as the most common complaint related to self-medication practice. Among the reasons for self medication practice, prior experience was the most frequently reported. Analgesics, antipyretic and antibacterial were the leading class of medicine used in self-medication practice while adverse drug reactions were reported by 9.2% of respondents. In this study, sex, income, and school of study were found to be the independent predictors for self-medication practice.ConclusionNational guideline on medicine access should be developed and strong measures should be implemented to halt the selling of medications without a proper prescription. In addition, students should be educated on the consequences of self-medication practices.

Highlights

Self-medication is a common practice globally and the resulting irrational drug use is raising concerns
Headache and fever was the major (62.9%) complaint related to self-medication practice followed by common cold 25.0%(n = 58), pain and chills 22.4% (n = 52), and sore throat 10.3% (n = 24)
Results of this study showed that the first main complaint related to self medication was headache and fever 62.9% followed by common cold 25.0%, pain and chills 22.4%

Summary

Introduction

Self-medication is a common practice globally and the resulting irrational drug use is raising concerns. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of self-medication practice and its influencing factors among students of Asmara College of Health Science. A continuous worldwide increase in self-medication has been triggered by economic, political and cultural factors and the practice is becoming a major public health problem [3]. There is a difference in the prevalence of self-medication practices among developing and developed countries in relation to the variations in cultural and socioeconomic factors, dissimilarities in health care systems such as compensation rules, access to health care, and medicine dispensing policies [4]. Most events of illness are treated by self-medication, imposing much public and professional concerns about the irrational use of medicines [5]. A relatively higher percentage of medicines were being dispensed without a medical

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