Risk Factors of Antibiotics Self-medication Practices among University Students in Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Self-medication is a practice with major global implications, especially with antibiotics intake. Self-medication among future health-care professionals could affect their way in prescribing medication in the future.
 AIM: This study was conducted to estimate the magnitude and the determinants of antibiotics self-medication practices and to describe the pattern of antibiotics abuse among undergraduate university students.
 METHODS: A cross-section study was conducted among 563 medical students from public and private universities in Cairo, Egypt, using a questionnaire.
 RESULTS: About 77.7% of the students used antibiotics without prescriptions with no statistical differences by age, sex, residence, or type of universities. More than half of the students (51.7%) do not know the effect of antibiotics abuse on microbial resistance. Most self-treated antibiotics were used to manage gastroenteritis symptoms (70%), respiratory symptoms (63%), and dental infections (36%), other causes such as headache or prophylactic reasons (21%). About 91.7% of the self-medicated students reported access to antibiotics from the pharmacy without a prescription and 71% of them mentioned discontinuation of a course of antibiotics at least once during the last year. About 81% of the students who do not know the effect of antibiotic abuse are self-medicated versus 75% of their counterpart who know and this difference is statistically significant. The multivariate analysis identified the residence as an independent predictor of their knowledge (area of residence = 1.6, 95% confidence interval [1.1–2.3]).
 CONCLUSION: The prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics among university students in Cairo is high. Our findings highlight the urgent need for tailored interventions to control this practice.

Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of multidrug-resistant bacteria among intensive care units patients at Ain Shams University Hospitals in Egypt—a retrospective study

“…Several causes can be responsible for the increased incidence of drug-resistance detected in the present study. The prime reason may be the common practice in Egypt where almost all patients-before hospital admission-take diverse antibiotics either prescribed by doctors or self-medication due to over-the-counter antibiotics administered mostly in an improper dose and for an inadequate period [37,38]. Other potential causes are the geographical divergence as well as the genetic variations among pathogens from different studies.…”

Is health literacy associated with antibiotic use, knowledge and awareness of antimicrobial resistance among non-medical university students in Egypt? A cross-sectional study

“…However, there were still some misconceptions and malpractices reported among medical students/professionals. [36][37][38] Regarding self-medication with antibiotics, 62.2%, 36 65.9% 39 and 77.7% 37 of medical students reported such practice. These rates are higher than that observed among nonmedical students in the current study (39.9%).…”

Comparative Assessment of the Prevalence, Practices and Factors Associated with Self-medication with Antibiotics in Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…Most of these factors are in line with those reported by Ocan and colleagues in a review on developing countries (65). Accessibility, affordability, and conditions of health facilities, as well as the health-seeking behaviors were among the factors identified by Torres and associates in LMIC (17). Low educational status is the most frequently reported factor associated with SMA, warranting the need to promote literacy among communities in Africa as a vital strategy to also reduce SMA.…”

“…Five studies reported male gender (32,40,43,45,53), while 2 studies presented the female gender (20,51). Other associated factors reported were low income or unemployment (52,55), young age <30 years (17,42,55), middle-age 30 to 60 years (20,51), the remoteness of health facility (48,53), and perceived long waiting time at health facilities (43,53) [Table 4].…”