Basic Socio-demographic Variables Research Articles

Effects of Gender and Social Network Use on High School Students’ Emotional Well-Being during COVID-19

Various studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic have confirmed changes in online behaviour, with young people increasingly using social networks. This trend appears to correlate with a heightened risk of various psychological and emotional problems. The main aim of this study is to explore the patterns of social network use among high school students amidst the pandemic, particularly focusing on the presence of specific emotional problems and potential gender differences. In addition, this study aims to contribute to the existing body of knowledge on the influence of lockdown measures on adolescents. A probabilistic sample of N = 825 students from 20 high schools in Zagreb participated in this study. Alongside basic sociodemographic variables, this study assessed social network habits and emotional problems using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales 21 (DASS-21). The findings indicate intensive social media engagement during the pandemic. The results of the MANOVA analysis (gender x daily time on social media) show significant effects of both the time spent on social networks and gender on mental health, while no interaction effect was observed. Female students and those who spend more time on social media have higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. These findings underscore the need for addressing emotional problems and habits in the virtual environment of high school students and implementing appropriate preventive and treatment interventions.

Acceptability and Feasibility of the Plasma Separation Card for an Integrated Model of Care for HBV and HCV Screening Among People Attending HIV Clinics in Cameroon and Uganda.

Sub-Saharan African countries have a high burden of viral hepatitis and poor access to screening and care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of using the plasma separation card (PSC) for viral hepatitis B and C screening among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Cameroon and Uganda. This is a cross-sectional study carried out between 05/2021 and 03/2023 including 192 PLHIV in Cameroon (n = 104) and Uganda (n = 88). Basic sociodemographic variables and whole blood samples were collected. Adequate filling with blood of PSCs was used to determine feasibility together with participant responses to questions on acceptability. A logistic regression model was carried out to assess the relationship between PSC acceptability and factors of interest. 70% of participants reported PSC as an acceptable viral hepatitis screening tool, and it was significantly more accepted in Uganda than Cameroon (100% vs. 43.2%, p < 0.001). Similarly, 75% of PSCs had at least one spot sample filled and were viable for analysis, 99% were correctly filled in Uganda and 53.4% in Cameroon. Reported ease of method performance (aOR: 24.77 95% CI 2.97-206.42, p = 0.003) and reduced collection time (aOR: 3.73 95% CI 1.26-11.04, p = 0.017) were associated with greater odds of PSC acceptance. HBsAg + and anti-HCV + prevalence were 11.1% and 1.0%, respectively. In spite of country differences, overall, the PSC was reported as a feasible and acceptable viral hepatitis testing method. Acceptability and feasibility of the method must be explored in heterogeneous target communities and qualitative research to better understand country-specific barriers and facilitators should be carried out.

PSYCHOSOCIAL RISK FACTORS IN EMPLOYEES AS PREDICTORS OF MOBBING

Mobbing in the workplace is a complex and worldwide phenomenon that reflects a subjective interpretation of this event. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between mobbing and basic socio-demographic variables and some personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, responsibility, emotional stability, intelligence/imagination, emotional intelligence, self-esteem, empathy, emotional self-awareness, personal well-being) of employees. In the cross-sectional design, data were collected from 553 employees selected from various occupations through easy sampling. Employees filled out an anonymous form containing job-related tests. Data collection tools were the standard scales i.e., A Psychological Mobbing Scale-30, personality trait questionnaire, Schutte Emotional Intelligence Test, Baron Empathy Scale, Emotional Self-Awareness Scale-11, Personal Well-Being Index-8 and Coopersmith's Self-Esteem Inventory. Results from multiple logistic regression analysis showed that there were statistically significant relationships between mobbing and age, industry, self-esteem and empathy. The results obtained are evaluated and discussed in terms of variable interaction and future research.

Prevalence of questionable health behaviours in Serbia and their psychological roots: protocol for a nationally representative survey

IntroductionWe will launch a national survey in Serbia to document the prevalence of two types of questionable health behaviours: (1) intentional non-adherence to medical recommendations and (2) use of traditional,...

Impact of the type of hematopoietic stem-cell transplant on quality of life and psychopathology

<p>Despite the decrease in transplant-related mortality, patients who receive hematopoietic stem-cell transplants often suffer from short-and long-term morbidities, poorer quality of life, and psychosocial functioning deficits. Several studies have compared the quality of life and affective symptoms of patients after undergoing autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplants. Some studies have reported similar or greater quality of life impairments in allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell recipients, but the findings have been inconsistent. Our purpose was to examine the influence of the type of hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation on the quality of life and affective symptoms of patients.</p>. <p>The study sample comprised 121 patients with various hematological diseases who underwent hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation at St. Istv&aacute;n and St. L&aacute;szl&oacute; Hospitals, Budapest. The study had a cross-sectional design. Quality of life was evaluated using the Hungarian version of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy&ndash;Bone Marrow Transplant scale (FACT-BMT). Anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed using Spielberger&rsquo;s State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Beck Dep&shy;ression Inventory (BDI), respectively. Basic sociodemographic and clinical variables were also recorded. Comparisons between autologous and allogeneic recipients were analyzed using a t-test when the variables were normally distributed and a Mann&ndash;Whitney U test otherwise. A stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors that contributed to the quality of life and the affective symptoms in each group.</p>. <p>Quality of life (p=0.83) and affective symptoms (pBDI=0.24; pSSTAI=0.63) were similar between the autologous and allogeneic transplant groups. The BDI scores of allogeneic transplant patients indicated mild depression, but their STAI scores were similar to those of the general population. Allogeneic transplant patients with symptoms of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) experienced more severe clinical conditions (p=0.01), poorer functional status (p&lt;0.01) and received more immunosuppressive treatment (p&lt;0.01) than those without graft versus host disease. Patients suffering from graft versus host disease experienced more severe depression (p=0.01), and constant anxiety (p=0.03) than those without graft versus host disease. Quality of life was affected by depressive and anxiety symptoms and psychiatric comorbidity in both the alloge&shy;neic and autologous groups.</p>. <p>Graft versus host disease-related severe somatic complaints seemed to influence the allogeneic transplant patients&rsquo; quality of life by inducing depressive and anxiety symptoms.</p>.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Basic Life Support among Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study in Malakand Division, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

OBJECTIVES To assess the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding basic life support among nurses of three selected District Headquarter Hospitals of Malakand Division Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. METHODOLOGY A cross-sectional study was conducted using 210 nursing staff working in these three hospitals. Data were collected using questionnaire, adopted from American Heart Association guidelines 2015. Permission granted by the concerned university and hospital. Consent was taken from the study participants before collecting the data. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 24 for descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS More than half (52.9%) of the participants had moderately adequate knowledge regarding basic life support (BLS). Majority (60%) of the participants were not performing BLS voluntarily, 30% participants performed BLS but not voluntarily. Majority (82.4%) nursing staff had poor practices regarding basic life support. No significant association was found between the level of knowledge regarding basic life support, socio-demographic variables and participant’s practices regarding basic life support. CONCLUSION Overall, nurses had moderately adequate knowledge and poor practices regarding basic life support. Very less number of nursing staff performed basic life support throughout their working career. Majority of the nursing staff were not basic life support certified. Majority of the nursing staff were not able to handle any emergency situation due to their lack of knowledge related to proper skills of basic life support. Nurses’ needs to be properly trained and certified BLS.

Prevalence and risk factors of generalized anxiety disorder among adult COVID-19 survivors in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu

Background: The infectious disease pandemic (COVID-19) has not only affected the physical health but also the psychosocial health of the infected population by increasing anxiety and stress. Our aim of this study is to estimate the generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) among the COVID-19 survivors in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu.Methods: A community -based descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 330 COVID-19 survivors in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu during December 2021 to May 2022. A predesigned and pretested, semi-structured proforma was used to collect data about the basic socio-demographic variables and COVID-19 infection related variables. A standardised 7 item GAD scale (GAD 7) was used for screening symptoms of anxiety. The presence of symptoms of anxiety was defined by a GAD 7 score of 8 and above. A p&lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: Out of 330 study participants, 15.8% of them had symptoms of anxiety with GAD 7 score of &gt;8. We found significant level of anxiety with age, female gender, marital status, socio-economic status, and presence of co-morbidity, Similarly, COVID-19 related factors like duration of hospital stay, family members either being affected or died due to COVID-19 infection were significantly associated with high level of anxiety.Conclusions: During this COVID-19 pandemic, the symptoms GAD was much higher among the COVID-19 survivors. A timely diagnosis and management are essential, by creating awareness at all levels of health care personal in the health system.

Harmful life style practices and associated factors among fishermen in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu: a cross sectional study

Background: Tobacco and alcohol consumption are considered as major public health problems in the world. The strenuous nature of the job, long and irregular working hours, long stay in the sea while fishing may lead to an increased rate of tobacco and alcohol consumption in fishermen. Aim of the study was to find out the prevalence of harmful lifestyle practices among fishermen, and also to find the association between harmful lifestyle practices and selected variables among the fishermen.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 275 fishermen in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu during October 2021 to March 2022. A Pre tested, semi-structured proforma was used to collect data about the basic socio-demographic variables, detailed occupational history, health status of fishermen and tobacco consumption and alcohol intake. Data were entered in Microsoft excel and analysis was done using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 17.Results: The proportion of cigarette smoking, tobacco chewing and alcohol consumption was 24.7%, 15.3% and 19.6% respectively. Variables such as boat ownership, diabetes, hypertension, sleep duration, income were found to be statistically significant.Conclusions: Harmful lifestyle practices among fishermen found

Changes in parental involvement and perceptions in parents of young children during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional observational study in Japan.

This study aimed to clarify changes in parental involvement with their children and parental perceptions related to parenting in both fathers and mothers of young children during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A cross-sectional observational design was used. Data were collected using a web-based questionnaire from 28 fathers and 115 mothers between October 1 and November 30, 2020. Parents answered questions regarding themselves, basic sociodemographic variables, perceived changes in involvement with their children, the presence or absence of abusive behavior (e.g., violence toward children), and parental perceptions related to parenting. Many parents indicated that they did not experience major changes in their involvement or perceptions compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic. Half of the fathers considered themselves to be in more physical contact or communication with their children; there was a significant difference between fathers and mothers regarding eating meals with their children (p = 0.00). Fathers felt tired due to parenting (35.7%) or a lack of free time (42.9%) during the COVID-19 pandemic. While significantly more mothers than fathers responded that their partners took care of their children (p = 0.03), significantly greater number of mothers than fathers also reported feeling overburdened (p = 0.00). Family support workers should help fathers maintain involvement with their young children without high stress levels and support mothers to reduce their heavy burden of parenting continuously. This would contribute to young childrens growth and development despite a public health crisis.

Intestinal parasites in stool testing among refugees at a primary care clinic in Toronto, Canada

BackgroundEnteric parasites are endemic in many of the countries from which refugees originate. Clinical guidelines vary in approaches to screening for and treating intestinal parasites in refugee receiving countries. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and species of intestinal parasites identified in stool ova and parasite (O&P) specimens in a sample of newly arrived refugees in Toronto, Canada.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective chart review of 1042 refugee patients rostered at a specialized primary care clinic in Toronto from December 2011 to September 2016. Patients who completed recommended stool O&P analyses were included. Basic sociodemographic and clinical variables and results of stool O&P were examined.Results419 patients (40.2%) had a stool O&P positive for any protozoan or helminth species. Sixty-nine patients (6.6%) had clinically significant parasite species (excluding B hominis, D fragilis, and E dispar, given their lower risk for causing symptoms/complications): 2.3% had clinically significant protozoans and 4.2% had helminths on stool analysis.ConclusionGiven the relatively low prevalence of clinically significant parasites identified, our findings do not support universal screening for enteric parasites with stool O&P among refugee claimants/asylum seekers. However, stool analysis should be considered in certain clinical situations, as part of a more tailored approach.

Involvement and Trust in Poland and Bulgaria in Comparison with Other European Societies

A developmental analysis of the two waves: 2008 and 2016 ESS Indicators of social engagement (we mean here organisational engagement) are treated as a measure of the process of social modernisation (Herrmann, 1999, Matei, Apostu, 2012). It is assumed here that higher scores of indicators demonstrate the 'maturity of civil society, the quality of the functioning of democracy and the process of its evolution (Boulding, 2010). The concept of generalised trust and trust in political institutions have a somewhat similar status, and they are treated as indicators of collective capacity and a premise for conclusions about the effectiveness of the development processes (Putnam, 1993, Sonderskov, 2011). The proposed presentation will focus on the changes we were able to register over eight years in Poland and Bulgaria (2008 and 2018) to indicate the position of the societies of these post-communist countries in comparison to other European countries. The main hypotheses would be to verify the relationship between trust indicators and declared involvement in NGO sector organisations as well as basic sociodemographic variables in a temporal perspective. The quantitative analysis will be preceded by a form of qualitative description and interpretation of the existing state of knowledge. ESS data would be used for the analysis, and the basis for inference will be the indices of “generalised trust”, “trust in national political institutions”, and “involvement in NGO” using regression analysis.

Concordance of self-reported varicella history and serology among adolescent and adult refugee patients at a primary care clinic in Toronto, Canada

BackgroundPrevious studies have found higher rates of varicella susceptibility among migrants from tropical regions. This study seeks to estimate the prevalence of varicella susceptibility in a cohort of newly arrived refugees and refugee claimants at a primary care clinic in Toronto and to compare patients’ self-reported history of varicella infection with serologic test results. MethodsWe conducted a retrospective chart review of 1888 refugee patients aged 13 years and older rostered at a specialized primary care clinic in Toronto from December 2011 to October 2017. Basic sociodemographic variables, self-reported varicella history, and varicella serologic results were examined. ResultsBased on serologic testing, 8.5% of individuals were varicella non-immune, with highest rates of varicella susceptibility among adolescents aged 13–19 years (13.5%). All adults over age 60 were varicella immune on serology (n = 56). A positive self-reported history of varicella infection was strongly predictive of varicella immunity on serology (PPV 96.8%; 95% CI: 95.2–97.9). A self-reported history of no prior varicella infection did not correlate reliably with serologic test results (NPV 15.8%; 95% CI: 13.3–18.0). A substantial proportion of patients (34.1%) were unsure of their varicella history. ConclusionIdentification and immunization of varicella susceptible refugee newcomers remains a health care priority. Self-reported history of varicella infection had mixed reliability as a predictor of varicella immunity.

Infectious diseases in India: assessing the role of household amenities and socio-demographic determinants

Infectious diseases continue to be a significant impediment in the attainment of sustainable development goals related to health. A lack of essential household amenities and social determinants are the primary cause behind the outbreak of infectious diseases in LMICs. The current study aimed to examine the socio-demographic determinants of infectious diseases vis-a-vis basic household amenities in India. This study was based on nationally representative data of ‘Key indicators of Social Consumption in India: Health’ conducted by the National Sample Survey Organisation between July 2017 and June 2018. The study measured the inicidence of various infectious diseases across basic household amenities and socio-demographic variables. Multivariate logistic regression is employed to analyse the association between the likelihood of a particular infectious disease and various intersectional variables. The study findings reveal that the lack of household amenities such as access to a toilet, clean drinking water, garbage disposal and socio-economic determinants such as area of residence, gender, poverty and age have a significant impact on the incidence of infectious diseases in India. Among various infectious diseases jaundice, malaria and others, including tuberculosis and typhoid, dengue fever and chikungunya, have a relatively higher incidence. Approximately 22.32% of the population do not have proper toilet facility, 45.56% have proper tap water facility, while 50% either use water from spring/well or other unprotected sources and about half of the population do not have any arrangement for garbage disposal. Among socio-demographic determinants, incidence of infections is relatively higher in rural areas, other backward classes (OBCs), males, children, and adults. The study findings outlined that there is a need for better government interventions towards reducing the burden of infectious diseases in India, particularly in rural areas.

A randomized controlled trial of self-compassion versus cognitive therapy for complex psychopathologies

Third wave cognitive behavioural therapy has drawn attention to the value of interventions focusing on improved psychological functioning and wellbeing, rather than recovery or absence of disorder alone. The current study compared behavioural therapy combined with either self-compassion training or cognitive therapy (experimental treatment with standard treatment) in a randomized controlled trial for an initial presentation of a depressive disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder at a publicly funded outpatient unit. A battery of reliable and valid scales to assess the severity of the presenting problem and level of self-compassion were administered at both commencement and end of a 12-week treatment intervention. Basic sociodemographic variables were also recorded. Effective randomization was achieved for all variables except self-compassion, for which the standard treatment group reported higher levels than the experimental group. The greater efficacy of the experimental protocol was indicated by significant time by group interactions in severity measures over time in the experimental group relative to the standard group. This study contributes to a relatively fledgling literature on the therapeutic efficacy of self-compassion, providing both researchers and clinicians with valuable insight into the circumstances in which training in self-compassion may be of potential benefit when incorporated into standard practice. The trial was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (TRN 12617000885392, June 16, 2017).

Fear of COVID-19 in Madrid. Will patients avoid dental care?

IntroductionThe objective of this research is to describe how perceived infectability, germ aversion, and fear of COVID-19 in adults in Madrid have changed from the beginning of the pandemic until the lockdown exit phase and their influence on dental care behaviour. Materials and MethodsSome 961 participants were monitored in a study in Madrid at 2 time points: before lockdown (T0) and after completion of the total lockdown (T1). A questionnaire that included basic sociodemographic variables, the perceived vulnerability to disease scale (including perceived infectability and germ aversion), the fear of COVID-19 scale, and dental visiting behaviour after confinement for fear of COVID was administered. ResultsThe participants had higher scores for infectability and germ aversion at T1 than at T0 (P < 0.01). Of those studied, 24.5% (235) of the participants would not go to the dentist for fear of COVID-19. Those who had a high perceived infectability scale score were at least 5 times more likely to not visit the dentist. Those with high COVID-19 fear were at least 6 times more likely to not visit the dentist, and those older than 60 years were 8 times more likely to not visit. ConclusionsThe population's high levels of vulnerability to infectability and perceived germ aversion associated with fear of COVID-19 and the resultant avoidance behaviour to dental care will remain until an effective drug or vaccine for SARS-CoV2 is found.

Twenty seven years of treating survivors of torture and organized violence – associations between torture, gender and ethnic minority status among refugees referred for treatment of PTSD

ABSTRACT Background: Victims of torture and organized violence are among the most vulnerable refugees. The nature of torture promotes shame, secrecy and silencing of the survivors, and there is a need for studies to provide a testimony to the experiences of survivors. Objective: To contribute to the global knowledge base by exploring the nature and frequency of different types of torture as reported by survivors and to explore potential associations between basic sociodemographic variables and the likelihood of reporting different kinds of torture and of attending treatment for PTSD. Method: This study is based on archival data from 27 years of clinical practice treating survivors of torture and organized violence (N = 1249) in a specialist outpatient clinic. Data was coded from patient files by two research assistants. Statistical analysis included independent samples t-tests, Pearson Chi Square tests and regression. Results: The study found strong associations between gender of survivors and the reporting of different kinds of torture, most strongly with respect to sexual torture. Furthermore, the study found significant differences between survivors belonging to an ethnic minority and survivors who belonged to the majority populations within their countries of origin with regards to the extent of the torture, they report being subjected to. Patients who received treatment reported more torture experiences than those who did not. Conclusions: Findings from the present study document the experiences of different torture methods as reported by survivors, and suggest that belonging to an ethnic minority population is associated with an increased risk of being subjected to more severe torture, which has implications for both research and interventions aimed at treating survivors of torture.

Who Is Impacted? Personality Predicts Individual Differences in Psychological Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Germany

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to changes in people’s private and public lives that are unprecedented in modern history. However, little is known about the differential psychological consequences of restrictions that have been imposed to fight the pandemic. In a large and diverse German sample (N = 1,320), we examined how individual differences in psychological consequences of the pandemic (perceived restrictiveness of government-supported measures, global pandemic-related appraisals, subjective well-being) were associated with a broad set of faceted personality traits (Big Five, Honesty-Humility, Dark Triad). Facets of Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Openness were among the strongest and most important predictors of psychological outcomes, even after controlling for basic sociodemographic variables (gender, age). These findings suggest that psychological consequences of the pandemic depend on personality and thus add to the growing literature on the importance of considering individual differences in crisis situations.

EQ-5D-3L health status and health state utilities of the oldest-old (85 +) in Germany: results from the AgeCoDe-AgeQualiDe study.

To describe health status and health state utilities measured by the EQ-5D-3L in a population-based sample of individuals aged 85 + in Germany, and to analyze associations with basic socio-demographic variables. Cross-sectional data from follow-up wave 7 (n = 761) of the German AgeCoDe Study were used. The EQ-5D-3L questionnaire was used to record problems in five health dimensions, its visual analogue scale (EQ VAS) was used to record self-rated health status, and the German EQ-5D-3L index was used to derive health state utilities. Mean age of respondents was 88.9years (SD 2.9; range 85 to 100), 67.4% were female. 81.9% reported problems in at least one of the EQ-5D dimensions, with 15.3% reporting extreme problems. Most frequent were problems with pain/discomfort (64.8%), followed by mobility (62.5%), usual activities (42.6%), self-care (28.2%), and anxiety/depression (20.5%). Mean EQ VAS score was 62.4 (SD 18.8), and mean EQ-5D index was 0.77 (SD 0.24). Multiple regression analysis showed associations of problem frequency in various EQ-5D dimensions with age, gender, living situation, marital status, and education. The EQ VAS score was negatively associated with age (β = - 0.56; p < 0.05) and female gender (β = - 3.49; p < 0.05). The EQ-5D index was negatively associated with not living in the community (β = - 0.10; p < 0.001) and being single (β = - 0.09; p < 0.05). The results show a substantially impaired health status of the oldest-old population. The data can be used for comparing health status of population groups as well as for health economic models.

The Influence of Religiosity/Spirituality on Sex Life Satisfaction and Sexual Frequency: Insights from the Baylor Religion Survey

Prior literature has generally found either a null or positive association between sex life satisfaction and religiosity. However, different studies have used various measures of religiosity and have focused on different demographics along the dimensions of age, marital status, and gender, limiting what can be determined in terms of moderating and cross-demographic effects. This shortcoming is germane because it may explain the differing findings in the literature. This study drew on the nationally representative 2017 Baylor Religion Survey (N = 1501) to test relationships among sex life satisfaction, sexual frequency, and a variety of different religious measures while testing for demographic moderators. Results suggest that religion and spirituality have a strong and significant association with sex life satisfaction while controlling for basic sociodemographic variables, and that this relationship is consistent across marital status, age, and gender. The positive association between religion and sexual frequency appeared to be limited to more intrinsic, personal forms such as self-rated spirituality and frequency of prayer. This association did not exist for non-married individuals, however, and among non-marrieds those who attend religious services more reported lower sexual frequency. Possible explanations for these results are discussed.

Determinants and effects of self-administration with NSAIDs in a tertiary care hospital of Eastern India

Introduction: Self-Medication is a practice common in developing countries, and accepted in society, unlike the western world. NSAIDs are responsible for the delayed diagnosis (due to suppression of clinical features), disease progression and adverse effects. Objective: To determine the factors leading to self-administration of NSAIDs, their usage pattern and possible adverse effects. To compare NSAID’s use by prescription and over the counter acquisition. Materials and Methods: The present study investigates the determinants and effects of self-administration of NSAIDs by patients attending a tertiary care hospital during August- October 2019. The patients were interviewed regarding basic socio demographic variables, their rationale behind taking NSAIDs along with adverse effects experienced by them with a validated questionnaire. Their awareness pertaining to the drugs was also assessed. Results: 55.2% of the population were aware about adverse drug reaction due to NSAIDs but only 17% suffered any consequence of such activity. 23% of the patients were not aware about the nature of the disease whereas 44.2% visited physician less than 1 month. Awareness regarding adverse drug reaction is more in elderly and middle aged in compare to youth. The intention to administer the drugs was relief of musculoskeletal pain (62.9%) followed by relief of headache (15.2%) followed by others. The people at the medicine shops are advisors to majority of the people administering drugs without prescription (42.9%) followed by family members (32.4%), colleagues as well as friends. Conclusion: We found large proportion of patients taking self-prescribed NSAIDs for symptomatic relief and advice by overenthusiastic peers. Keywords: NSAIDs, Self-medication, Over the counter, Patients, ADR.