Minor Illness Research Articles

Hearing profile of recovered severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-COV2) patients

BackgroundCoronaviruses are large, encapsulated RNA viruses that can infect both humans and animals and cause minor respiratory illnesses. In December 2019, numerous cases of pneumonia of unknown origin were reported in Wuhan, China. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the cause of these cases, was discovered on January 6, 2020. The new coronavirus was declared an epidemic by the WHO on March, 2020. Several studies on COVID-19 have found that auditory complaints and hearing impairment can be detected using various tests.ObjectivesPure tone audiometry (PTA) and transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) were used to assess hearing in recovered SARS-CoV-2 patients. Also, to compare the presence of patient's auditory complaints with the test findings.MethodsA case- control study was conducted, with each case and control group consisting of 58 people who were age and sex matched and ranged in age from 18 to 50 years. PTA, Extended PTA and, TEOAEs were used to evaluate hearing in both groups.ResultsPTA revealed a statistically significant difference in right ear thresholds at 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 4 kHz, and 8 kHz and left ear thresholds at 250 Hz, 4 kHz, 8 kHz, and 12.5 kHz between patients and controls. Additionally, a statistically significant difference in TEOAEs' overall reproducibility and amplitude between patients and controls was discovered. Affection for PTA and TEOAEs were related to the patient's complaints of hearing loss and tinnitus, respectively.ConclusionsWhether a patient is symptomatic or not, COVID-19 may have a negative impact on their hearing.

Perceptions And Practices Of Self-Medication Among The Residents Of Western, Nepal

Background: Self-medication is defined as the “The taking of drugs, herbs or some remedies on personal initiative, or on the advice of another person without consulting a physician for the aliment of self-diagnosed physical illness”. Self-medication is practiced throughout the world, including both developing and developed countries. Self-medication includes both risks and benefits. Objectives: To assess the perceptions and practices of self-medication among the residents of Western, Nepal. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 378 respondents aged above 18. Closed ended questionnaire was used as data collection tool. Non-probability purposive sampling method was used for the collection of data. Results: The prevalence of self-medication practices was found to be 76.8%. Friends/Family members/Relatives 34.20%), Past-own experience (23.9%) and Pharmacist (23.5%) were the major source of information for self-medication practices. The most common type of illness for self-medication were Headache (19.7%), Cough and Cold (19.1%) and fever (18.10%). NSAIDs (32.9%), Cough Syrups (15.0%) and Antibiotics (14.8%) were the mostly used drugs in self-medication practices. The most common reasons for self-medication were previous experience (23.59%), minor illness (19.77%) and quick reliefs (19.1%). More than half of respondents (57.0%) were found to have positive perception towards the self-medication practices. This study showed education status (p=0.033) had significant association with the self-medication practices. Conclusion: The study focused to assess the perception and practices of self-medication. The prevalence of self-medication was found to be 78.6%. More than half of the residents were found to possess positive perception towards the self-medication practices.

Systematic review of self-medication in students of medical and biological sciences careers

Context: Self-medication is a self-care practice. It is a frequent and widespread habit in all societies and does not distinguish between sex and age. Therefore, students are not exempt from using this practice. Aims: To carry out a systematic review of scientific articles published between 2010 and 2020 on self-medication in university students of careers related to medical and biological sciences with PRISMA guidelines. Methods: A standardized search was performed in four databases with the following terms: Automedicación (in Spanish), Self-medication, Automedication, University Student, and Students. For the selection of studies, the Rayyan® tool was used. The most relevant information on self-medication of university students was collected. Results: Fourteen articles were included and evaluated as high, medium, and low quality with the AXIS tool. The results of the study reflected a high self-medication in university students of careers related to medical and biological sciences, with a higher prevalence of self-medication in women than in men. The more knowledge these students have, the greater their self-medication and, thus, they always maintain this practice, being the most indicated causes for it the problems in the respiratory tract, headaches, and gastrointestinal problems. The main reasons for these students to practice self-medication are the knowledge they have acquired in their curricula, due to past experiences with the same symptoms and minor illnesses. Pharmacies, through friends, relatives or neighbors and home medicine cabinets are the most common places for the acquisition of medications by these students, indicating that analgesics/anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, and antipyretics are the most used medications among them. Conclusions: These students practice self-medication because they consider they have sufficient knowledge about diseases and their treatments, which gives them more confidence in making the decision to self-medicate. Subsequently, self-knowledge is a decisive reason for self-medication. Moreover, self-medication patterns regarding the use of drugs from various therapeutic categories vary among medical and biological sciences university students from different countries.

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The purpose of this research is to study the prevalence of self-medication with DS in the Republic of Armenia․ The study among consumers was conducted by the method of a survey using a questionnaire. The survey involved 385 adult citizens of the RA. The data obtained were analyzed using SPSS (23.0). Based on the findings of the study, a significant proportion of the respondents (51.8%) reported having used various types of DS. Notably, a considerable percentage of DS usage was observed among individuals aged 65 years and above, as well as those with a higher level of education. The study also revealed that the majority of consumers tend to engage in self-medication when faced with minor illnesses, often opting to use DS without seeking advice from healthcare professionals. These findings provide valuable insights into the self-medication by consumers and their use of DS. The results underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions aimed at increasing awareness about the appropriate use of supplements. To address these concerns, healthcare professionals, such as physicians, pharmacists, and other relevant practitioners play a crucial role in counseling patients and the general public. They should provide comprehensive guidance regarding the benefits and risks associated with dietary supplements. Additionally, it is essential to enhance consumer involvement in the health insurance system. By doing so, consumers will be encouraged to seek medical help without hesitation, ensuring they receive the necessary diagnosis and professional advice.

Professional stakeholders’ expectations for the future of community pharmacy practice in England: a qualitative study

ObjectivesTo explore the views of professional stakeholders on the future of community pharmacy services in England. Specific objectives related to expectations of how community pharmacy services will be provided by...

389 The Use of a Viral Pandemic Dispatch Protocol to Filter Out Minor Illness Cases of COVID

389 The Use of a Viral Pandemic Dispatch Protocol to Filter Out Minor Illness Cases of COVID

"I'd rather wait and see what's around the corner": A multi-perspective qualitative study of treatment escalation planning in frailty.

People living with frailty risk adverse outcomes following even minor illnesses. Admission to hospital or the intensive care unit is associated with potentially burdensome interventions and poor outcomes. Decision-making during an emergency is fraught with complexity and potential for conflict between patients, carers and clinicians. Advance care planning is a process of shared decision-making which aims to ensure patients are treated in line with their wishes. However, planning for future care is challenging and those living with frailty are rarely given the opportunity to discuss their preferences. The aim of the ProsPECT (Prospective Planning for Escalation of Care and Treatment) study was to explore perspectives on planning for treatment escalation in the context of frailty. We spoke to people living with frailty, their carers and clinicians across primary and secondary care. In-depth online or telephone interviews and online focus groups. The topic guide explored frailty, acute decision-making and planning for the future. Data were thematically analysed using the Framework Method. Preliminary findings were presented to a sample of study participants for feedback in two online workshops. We spoke to 44 participants (9 patients, 11 carers and 24 clinicians). Four main themes were identified: frailty is absent from treatment escalation discussions, planning for an uncertain future, escalation in an acute crisis is 'the path of least resistance', and approaches to facilitating treatment escalation planning in frailty. Barriers to treatment escalation planning include a lack of shared understanding of frailty and uncertainty about the future. Emergency decision-making is focussed on survival or risk aversion and patient preferences are rarely considered. To improve planning discussions, we recommend frailty training for non-specialist clinicians, multi-disciplinary support, collaborative working between patients, carers and clinicians as well as broader public engagement.

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

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.

The Analysis of Exclusive Breastfeeding Towards the Stunting Cases

Stunting is a condition in which a child experiences developmental delays so that their height does not match their age, due to health problems during pregnancy, illness during infancy, and long-term lack of nutrition. One of the reasons for stunting is eating unbalanced, including exclusive breastfeeding as a baby. The impact of stunting besides growth, also causes minor illnesses, impaired brain development and intelligence, in the long term it can cause decreased mental capacity, decreased immune system so that it becomes weak easily, obesity, diabetes, stroke, heart and blood vessel disease, and old age disability. The aim of this study was to analyze the history of exclusive breastfeeding for the incidence of stunting. The research design was a quantitative correlation retrospective cohort approach, a population of 100 people with a sample of 50 people using the technique of simple random sampling. The study used Microtoice to measure the child's height was confirmed in table Z-Score and interview sheets for exclusive breastfeeding data. Analysis using Fisher Exact showed that the calculated P value (0.00) < error rate (0.1) had a relationship between a history of exclusive breastfeeding and the incidence of stunting. Based on this research, further information was needed on how to prevent stunting regarding the importance of clean and healthy life, especially for family members who smoke, because smoking had a negative impact on stunted toddler growth hormones

Analisis Tingkat Pengetahuan dan Perilaku Swamedikasi Diare terhadap Mahasiswa Farmasi Universitas Tanjungpura

Self-medication is done to treat minor illnesses, such as diarrhea. Knowledge and behaviour of drugs usage in each individual affect self-medication so that irrational drugs usage can be prevent. This study determines the relationship between semester, knowledge and behaviour about diarrhea self-medication of pharmacy students at Tanjungpura University 2021/2022. The research method was carried out retrospectively in the form of a cross-sectioned questionnaire. Stratified random sampling method was used for sample selection. Rank-spearman analysis was used to analyze the relationship between semester level, knowledge and behaviour of diarrhea self-medication. Based on research, out of 232 respondents, majority of respondents were women, aged 21, obtained drugs from pharmacies without prescription (81,03%) and used adsorbent class for antidiarrheal drugs. Knowledges are classified from good (9,91%), moderate (28,45%) and low (61,64%). Behaviours are classified as appropiate (79,74%) and inappropriate (20,26%). The p-value results show the relationship between semester and knowledge 0,142; relationship between semester and behaviour 0,256 and relationship between knowledge and behaviour 0,318. The conclusion of this study is the relationship between semester and knowledge are categoried very low with positive significant relationship. Relationship between semester and behaviour and relationship between knowledge and behaviour are categoried low with positive significant relationship.

Telemedicine in the Post-Pandemic Period: Understanding Patterns of Use and the Influence of Socioeconomic Demographics, Health Status, and Social Determinants.

Introduction: The rapid expansion of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed health care delivery. However, it remains unclear whether telemedicine utilization is equitable across different demographic groups and whether the high levels of adoption during the pandemic have persisted in the post-pandemic period. This study investigates telemedicine use and patterns of use in the initial phases of the post-pandemic period and explores the impact of socioeconomic factors, social determinants of health, and patients' health-related factors on telemedicine utilization. Methods: This study analyzes data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 6, comprising responses from 6,046 U.S. adults collected between March and November 2022. Results: Of 6,046 HINTS respondents, 39.3% (2,517 individuals) reported using telemedicine in the past year. Among telemedicine users, 18.5% used video visits, 12.08% used telephone-based telecare, and 8.72% used both. The main reasons for telehealth visits were minor illnesses (29.67%), chronic condition management (21.4%), annual visits (18.82%), mental and behavioral health concerns (15.72%), and medical emergencies (1.58%). Among non-users, only 17% (578 individuals) were offered telehealth visits, with privacy concerns (16.43%), preference for in-person consultation (84.42%), and difficulty using telemedicine technology (18.96%) being the main reasons for non-use. Logistic regression analysis revealed significant associations of social determinants, socioeconomic demographics, and health factors with telemedicine utilization. Women had a higher likelihood of using telemedicine (odds ratio [OR] = 1.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09-1.78). Older adults showed lower inclination toward telemedicine. Married individuals were more likely to use telemedicine (OR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.06-1.72), while Whites (OR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.04-2.22) and Hispanics (OR = 1.80, 95% CI = 1.17-2.75) had higher odds of utilizing telemedicine compared with non-Hispanic African Americans. Lack of reliable transportation (OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.01-1.66), frequent provider visits (OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.28-1.46), a higher number of chronic conditions (OR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.22-1.57), and residences in metropolitan locations were also associated with increased telemedicine usage. Greater satisfaction with internet connectivity positively influenced telemedicine utilization. Conclusions: This study highlights the continued preference for in-person visits among U.S. adults in the early post-pandemic period, despite the widespread use of telemedicine. Addressing barriers such as limited access, privacy concerns, technological difficulties, and demographic disparities is crucial for achieving equitable utilization of telemedicine.

A Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Planned Teaching Programme on Knowledge regarding First Aid Management among Primary School Teachers in selected schools at Bangalore

First aid is the first and immediate assistance given to any children with either a minor or serious illness or injury, with care provided to preserve life. The results of study showed that pre-test mean score is 15.65 with 48.9% with standard deviation of 3.862 before the administration of planned teaching programs, the post-test mean score is 25.75 with 80.46%. The comparison of overall knowledge scores on first aid management before and after the planned teaching programs. The mean difference 10.10 with standard deviation 3.549 the t-test value t = 25.452 and is significant. In all aspects the school teachers have improved their knowledge after the administration of planned teaching programs. The difference between pre-test and post-test knowledge score is large it is significant. Statistical significant was calculated using students paired t-test. The association between selected demographic variables significantly associated with the pretest knowledge scores. The association was determined by using Pearson chi square test.

Prevalence and impacts of self-medication in a disadvantaged setting: the importance of multi-dimensional health interventions.

Self-medication is recognized as an effective form of treatment and is increasingly encouraged to treat minor illnesses. However, misuse of self-medication leaves devastating impacts on human health and causes antimicrobial resistance. Using medication without a prescription among farmers could cause more severe effects on their health than non-farm workers since they suffer from several occupational hazards such as excessive exposure to pesticides. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 197 residents living in Moc Chau from August to September. A structured questionnaire and face-to-face were used to collecting data. The multivariate logistic model was applied to indicate associated factors with the self-medication. The prevalence of self-medication among farmers was 67%. Pain relievers (66.7%) and antibiotics (32.5%) were the types of medicines that were the most commonly purchased and used without a medical prescription. Ethnics and health status also significantly affected the self-medication practice as well as the purchase and use of antibiotics. The distance to travel to a medical center and the dangerous or difficult travel, participants with arthritis or inpatient treatment had significantly associated with buying and using the medicine and antibiotics without the medical prescription of farmers. Our research highlights a considerably high prevalence of self-medication among farmers residing in the mountainous area of Vietnam. Individual factors such as ethnics, health status, distance to health centers, and dangerous or difficult travel were found to be related to the SM practice as well as the purchase and use of antibiotics. From that, the current study suggests interventions. For instance, official guidelines are needed to raise awareness and minimize the disadvantages of self-medication; and digital health technologies should be applied to reduce the gap in healthcare service between mountainous and other areas of Vietnam.

Knowledge, attitude and practice of self-medication in general population of central India

Self-medication is widely used in both urban and rural people around the world, even in developing nations like India. Inappropriate self-medication can squander resources, increase microbial resistance, and pose serious health hazards regardless of whether it can help in the prevention and treatment of illnesses that do not require medical attention. To determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of 200 participants on self-medication, a cross-sectional study using questionnaires was conducted. On the recommendation of pharmacists, 45.5% of respondents used self-medication in the previous six months. About 83% of respondents thought self-medication was harmful if it was used without proper knowledge of drugs and diseases, 69% thought pharmacists were good resources for advice and information about minor medical issues, 59% thought self-medication was acceptable in some situations, and 34% thought a drug's effectiveness was unrelated to its price. Self-medication was favoured by the majority of respondents (38%) for minor illnesses like coughs, colds, and fevers. Due to time savings, participants' confidence in their own medical expertise, the expensive cost of visiting a doctor, and the clinic's distance from their homes, self-medication was chosen. Even though self-medication has negative effects, many nevertheless do it since it's more convenient. The general public should therefore be made aware of the potential risks associated with self-medication.

Migration and health: Exploring the effect of destinations on the health outcomes among rural-urban migrants in India

Conservative estimates of the census of India pegged the number of rural-urban migrants at 78 million, out of the total internal migrant population of 456 million, in 2011. Despite their sizable number, larger than several European nations, very little is known about whether the type of urban destination matters for the physical health of these largely poor populations. Using data from two waves of the India Human Development Survey (2004–05 and 2011–12), we conduct multi-level analyses to explore the impact of metropolitan versus non-metropolitan destinations on the odds of short-term and long-term illnesses among rural-urban migrants across residential durations. Findings show that rural-urban migrants to metropolitan cities experience higher likelihood of suffering from overall and pollution-related major illnesses relative to their counterparts in non-metropolitan urban areas. On the other hand, migrants to metropolitan cities experience lower odds of suffering from minor illnesses than non-metropolitan rural-urban migrants. However, these significant effects of urban destination disappear when we compare health outcomes between shorter versus longer-duration migrants. We subject these multi-level analytic findings to robustness checks that corroborate our foregoing mixed results. Our findings generate initial evidence on health disparities among rural-urban migrants by destination and duration. These findings underscore the importance of health needs among migrant populations, that require attention particularly in the short-term of their relocation to cities.

Assessing pharmaceutical consultations: Comparing pharmacy-recommended medications for minor ailments and regulatory compliance in a Latin American healthcare network

BackgroundThe importance of access to medicines in promoting global health cannot be overstated, particularly as an estimated 2 billion people lack access to basic medicines, particularly in developing nations. While over-the-counter (OTC) medications are relatively safe and cost-effective, there is a risk of misuse due to factors such as inaccurate self-diagnosis, inadequate dosing, addiction, adverse drug reactions, and drug interactions. To ensure proper use and prevent irrational self-medication, pharmacists can play a crucial role in guiding patients. However, the legislation in Costa Rica only covers OTC and prescription drugs, and health authorities are proposing a new decree to include a list of drugs that can be recommended by pharmacists without a prescription to treat minor ailments, which would be classified as behind-the-counter (BTC). ObjectiveCharacterize the pharmaceutical consultation, compare the medications recommended by pharmacy professionals for minor ailments with the legislation in force in Costa Rica, and determine whether the current OTC medications are sufficient to treat minor ailments. Material and methodsThis study is a descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study that focuses on a sample of the Costa Rican population that comes to consult with a pharmacist in one of the four pharmacies of the Hospital Clínica Bíblica (HCB) in San José, Costa Rica. Consultations included users over 18 years of age or caregivers of underage patients seeking advice or assistance from publicly accessible pharmacies, excluding consultations that involved information related to other hospital departments. This study aims to analyze the pharmaceutical consultation for minor ailments and compare the medications recommended by pharmacists with the list of medications allowed in Costa Rica. The study also aims to determine if the current OTC medications are adequate for treating minor ailments. ResultsA total of 1537 consultations were gathered, which were divided into four categories: pharmaceutical recommendation (48%), medication information (31%), other consultations (18%), and referrals to another health professional (3%). Among the consultations classified as pharmaceutical recommendations, 90% were related to minor ailments. Prescription drugs accounted for 75.3% of the medications recommended and consulted. However, when the BTC category was included, the percentage of recommended prescription drugs decreased to 29.6%, while BTC drugs constituted 45.7%. Finally, the chi-square test rejected the null hypothesis that there was no association between the availability of OTC drugs and the minor ailments for which patients sought consultation. ConclusionsMost cases of pharmacy consultations involve minor illnesses such as digestive symptoms, joint pain, and respiratory issues. The proposed decree by health authorities in Costa Rica is noteworthy as it establishes standardized protocols for the prescription of BTC medications to ensure the safety of patients.

Evaluasi Usabilitas Dan Rekomendasi Desain Antarmuka Website Kesehatan (Studi Kasus: Hellosehat.Com)

The Covid-19 pandemic is an encouragement for all people to be able to transform from previously having to meet face-to-face, forced by circumstances to turn into online meetings. All aspects of human life are forced to change, including in terms of health. In the current pandemic era, people are afraid to travel for treatment or even consult a doctor in person. With health websites such as hellosehat.com or other health websites, people can be helped to access health information. This health website can be an alternative for patients who have minor illnesses that do not need medical treatment or medical equipment assistance from the hospital. Therefore, a website interface that is easy to understand by users is needed so as not to be confused when accessing and using the website. This study aims to evaluate the interfaces of existing health sites. In this case study, researchers used hellosehat.com site to evaluate. The method used in this study is the goal directed design method, where in this method there are six steps, namely research, modelling, requirements, framework, refinement, and support. The development of hellosehat.com site using the goal directed design method resulted in an increase in usability, namely effectiveness which increased from 62.22% to 97.78%, which was an increase of 35%. In the efficiency factor, there was an increase of 44%, where in the initial test it scored 49.88% increasing to 94.77%. In the satisfaction factor, there was an increase of 26%, from 65% to 91.25%.

A Study to Assess the Knowledge and Practice of Parents Regarding Home Management of Minor Ailments in Children Visiting Tertiary Care Hospital Mangaluru

Abstract Background The nation's future depends on its children. Minor illnesses are a common occurrence during childhood. It is crucial to evaluate parents' knowledge and practice when it comes to dealing with minor illnesses. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of parents regarding home management of minor ailments in children. Methods The descriptive research design was adopted for this study. The sample consisted of 65 parents of under-5 children The sample was selected on the basis of the purposive sampling technique. Data was collected using a knowledge questionnaire and practice checklist related to the management of minor illnesses in children including fever, upper respiratory tract infection (URTI; cough, cold, sore throat), diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal colic, and superficial wound. Data collected from the subjects were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. Results Study revealed that 80% had good knowledge, 20% had moderate knowledge, and none of them had poor knowledge on home management of minor ailments. In terms of practice, 55.4% of parents had moderate practice in the management of fever, 93.8% had good practice regarding the management of URTI, 43.1% had a good practice in managing diarrhea at home, 47.7% of parents had poor practice regarding home management of abdomen colic, 56.9% parents had a good practice on management of vomiting at home, and 92.3% had good practice score on managing superficial wounds at home. There was a significant association found with education status and knowledge score, as well as educational status and occupation with URTI practice and source of health information with fever at p-value less than 0.05 level of significance. Conclusion The results of this study showed that parents of under-5 children had good knowledge and practice regarding home management of minor ailments.

A Cross-Sectional Study on Self-Medication Prevalence and Usage Patterns: An Alarming Concept Among the Saudi Population.

Self-medication (SM) has many potential drawbacks, including toxicity, drug resistance, severe adverse effects, drug interactions, drug abuse, and drug dependence, but it is still widely used for a variety of reasons, including time and money savings, symptom prevention or treatment of minor illnesses, a lack of access to doctors, etc. This study aimed to describe and analyse the usage of antibiotics without a prescription, self-medication practises, and patterns of using them among Saudis. In 13 provinces of Saudi Arabia, a community-based cross-sectional study was done. After gaining consent, data were gathered from 420 adults during face-to-face interviews using a questionnaire. SPSS was used to analyse the data once it had been entered into Microsoft Excel (Microsoft® Corp., Redmond, WA). Regarding self-medication, among 208 participants, there was a male predominance and among upper lower class with respect to socioeconomic status. The self-medication rate was found to be higher among graduates and professionals with respect to education and occupation. Self-medication was discovered to be more prevalent among metropolitan residents. The majority of those who started using self-medication got their knowledge from various advertisements. The most frequent symptom of self-medication was fever, followed by a common cold. The most commonly used medication was paracetamol, followed by cough syrups. Weight loss advertisements influence participants the most for self-medication, followed by hair loss and diabetes. TV advertisements have the highest influence on people practising self-medication. The study calls for greater knowledge of the impacts of antibiotic self-medication, which can be accomplished through efficient measures including behaviour change communication and encouraging more research into its causes and effects.

Self-medication counseling at Muhammadiyah learning center in Kepong, Kuala Lumpur

Self-medication is an effort to treat the symptoms of minor illnesses which can be performed by the community. The purpose of self-medication is to relieve symptoms of minor illnesses as well as provide first aid. Regarding the importance of self-medication, community service related to self-medication was carried out. The participants were 20 student parents of Kepong Muhammadiyah learning center, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The community service was conducted on September 2, 2022 and was delivered through counseling by using PowerPoint Presentations (PPT) media. To check the participants’ understanding of self-medication materials, pretest and post-test questionnaires were distributed. The result indicated an increase in the knowledge of self-medication as it was assessed by the difference between pretest scores (78) and post-test scores (93.9). To sum up, this community service is considered successful in increasing participants’ knowledge of self-medication.