Self-Medication Practice and Associated Factors among Residents in Wuhan, China

Abstract

Background: This study aims to examine the prevalence and predictors associated with self-medication, and related consequences in Wuhan, China. Methods: Two-hundred-sixty residents were interviewed from randomly selected four districts of Wuhan, China. A modified version of Anderson’s health behavioral model was used in the survey to collect information of self-medication behavior. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to measure correlates of the prevalence of self-medication. Results: Nearly half of the respondents would select self-medication, and 39.1% would see a doctor if they felt sick. The most common self-medicated illnesses were cold and cough, cardiovascular disease and gastrointestinal disease. The main reasons for self-medication were that the illness was not severe (enough) to see the doctor (45%); the patient did not think that the trouble of seeing a doctor was worth the effort (23%); the patient had no time to see the doctor (12%), and the patient did not want to pay high medical costs (15%). Logistic regression results suggested that respondents tended to select self-medication if the illness was minor or short-term (less than seven days). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that more strict regulation on over-the-counter medicines may be required to reduce health risks related to self-medication. Targeted health education on the risks of self-medication should be considered.

Comparative study to determine self-medication practice and pattern in urban and rural areas of Etawah district

“…This study was conducted among 200 participants in urban and 200 in rural area. This study revealed that in urban and rural area most of the participants are males [15][16][17] In the present study most of the participants in urban area belonged to nuclear family (51.0%) and rest are belonged to joint (26.5%) and three generation family (22.5%) while in rural area half of the participants belonged to joint family and those belonging to nuclear family were (40.0%) and three generation family (10%) respectively. On the other hand study conducted by Dutta et al in Chennai, Tamil Nadu reported that 62.5% participants were belong to nuclear family and rest are belong to third generation and joint family.…”

Study of knowledge, attitude and practice of self medication among health care workers at MC Gann Teaching District hospital of Shivamogga, India

“…Residents in Wuhan, China practiced self medication for cough and cold the most (55.1%). 29 Due to the ease of procuring the medications from the hospital or the working place several drugs belonging to different groups was self medicated among the healthcare workers in this study. NSAIDS was the most common drug self medicated in all the participants, followed by antihistamine and drugs acting on GIT.…”

The association between health literacy and self-medication behaviors among women referred to comprehensive health care centers in Sirjan, Iran, in 2017

“…Based on the results of the present study, the drugs used by the women for self-medication were mostly for the treatment of colds and included, respectively, analgesics, antibiotics, anti-allergy drugs, and hypnotics; the results were more or less similar to those of other studies. For instance, in a previous study, cold and coughing were the most common causes of self-medication (38), and in another study, self-medication drugs used among adolescents consisted of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or analgesics, cold stop and anti-cough drugs, anti-allergy drugs, and anti-acids (39). In another study conducted in Iran, herbal medicines had the highest rate, followed by analgesics and antibiotics, in the self-medication program of the people (37).…”