Attitude and practice of Saudi population towards self-medication with over the counter ophthalmic preparations

Background: This study was conducted to identify Saudi populations’ attitude and practice towards self-medication with over the counter (OTC) ophthalmic preparations.Methods: It was cross-sectional online-survey-based study using modified questionnaire from previous study targeting Saudi population (aged 15 years or above). Only who had used OTC ophthalmic preparations were included.Results: A total of 1426 participants were included and the mean age was 25.5±9.3 years. History of eye diseases were seen in n=860 (60.3%) which is include myopia n=481 (33.7%), dry eye n=296 (20.8%) and vernal keratoconjunctivitis n=180 (12.6%). Fifty four percent of the participants were familiar with OTC preparation (n=767) and n=927 (65.7%) believed that it is not safe to be used. More than one third consider antibiotics, antihistamines and decongestant eye drops as OTC. However, only n=275 (19.5%) think that lubricant eye drops are not under OTC categories. Participants who self-medicated with OTC were n=890 (62.4%), among them n=422 (47.4%) they do not know the names of medication, n=305 (34.3%) used lubricants and n=80 (9%) used antibiotics. Participants received prescription advice from n=208 (39.3%) pharmacists, n=133 (25.1%) relatives’ advice and n=26 (4.9%) from social media. Thirty eight percent use OTC because they used it before, while n=217 (27.7%) used it because of its easily accessibility.Conclusions: Saudi populations have awareness of various categories of OTC ophthalmic preparations. Despite that, those who used it tend to have poor practice.

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COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF TACROLIMUS 0.03% OINTMENT VS OLOPATADINE 0.2% EYE DROPS IN THE TREATMENT OF VERNAL KERATOCONJUNCTIVITIS

Pakistan Armed Forces Medical Journal ◽

10.51253/pafmj.v71i1.3251 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 71 (1) ◽

pp. 34-39

Author(s):

Hassan Sajjad Rathore ◽

Shahzad Saeed ◽

Ahsan Mukhtar ◽

Umar Ijaz ◽

Asad Habib ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Subjective Symptom ◽

Military Hospital ◽

Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis ◽

Eye Drops ◽

Subjective Symptoms ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Group A ◽

Objective Sign ◽

The Mean ◽

Group B

Objective: To compare the efficacy of tacrolimus 0.03% ointment to olopatadine 0.2% eye drops in the treatment of vernal keratoconjunctivitis. Study Design: Prospective cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Eye Department Combined Military Hospital Quetta, from Feb to Jul 2019. Methodology: A total of 69 patients with active vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) were included in this study.Thirty six (52.17%) patients were randomized in tacrolimus group and 33 (47.83%) in olopatadine group B.Baseline values of the subjective symptom score (SSS) and the objective sign score (OSS) were noted. Patientswere reviewed on weeks 2, 4, 8 and 12 and the scores at each visit were summed. These scores were used forcomparison between groups. Results: At the start of the study, the mean subjective symptoms score and objective sign score of group A was 9.0 ± 2.04 and 3.93 ± 1.93 respectively, while that of group B was 8.88 ± 2.18 and 4.36 ± 1.90 respectively. At the end of 12-weeks, the mean subjective symptoms score and objective sign score of group A reduced to 0.11 ± 0.32 and 0.08 ± 0.28 respectively, while that of group B reduced to 1.70 ± 0.77 and 0.64 ± 0.55 respectively. Total improvement of scores (as a percentage of baselines) among tacrolimus group was 98.3% and olopatadine group was 83%. Conclusion: Although both 0.03% tacrolimus and 0.2% olopatadine were effective in improving the signs andsymptoms of VKC, 0.03% tacrolimus was significantly superior.

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Knowledge, attitude and practice of over-the-counter drug among undergraduate medical students-a cross sectional study

Journal of Gandaki Medical College-Nepal ◽

10.3126/jgmcn.v14i2.39336 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 153-159

Author(s):

Bindu Malla ◽

Deepti KC

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

College Teaching ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Self Medication ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Over The Counter ◽

Otc Drugs ◽

Attitude And Practice ◽

Knowledge Attitude And Practice

Background: Self-medication of the over-the-counter (OTC) drug is practice all over the world. Although appropriate self-medication practice can address minor illness and is time and cost-effective, it can promote irrational use of medicine; prolong the illness, drug dependency and abuse. Medical students are the future medical practitioners and play the crucial role in counseling the patients. Therefore, the present study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of self- medication among undergraduate students. Methods: An institution based descriptive, cross sectional study was conducted after ethical approval was taken from the Institutional ethical committee of Gandaki medical college teaching hospital and research center (GMCTHRC) and data was collected from May to July 2018. Descriptive and correlation analysis were done with the data. The results were expressed in percentages. Results: Among 115 respondents, 60.9 % (70) were female and 39.1% (45) were male students. Majority of respondents (94.8%) believed that instruction on the label of the drugs should be followed and 78.3% respondents agreed that OTC drugs could interact with other prescribed drugs. However, only 53.9% respondents knew that OTC drugs were Group Ga drugs in Nepal. Despite good knowledge and attitude only 37.4% students had good practice in the rational use of the OTC drugs. Moreover, Antipyretic and analgesic drugs were the most commonly used drugs. However, only 36.84% respondents (p<0.05) knew about the correct dose and duration to take the drugs. Conclusions: We concluded that first year medical and dental should be motivated to use their knowledge into practice.

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Knowledge, attitude and practice of the Sudanese people towards COVID-19: an online survey

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10319-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Amal Abdelrahim Osman Mohamed ◽

Eilaf Ali Mohamed Elhassan ◽

Abdelrahim Osman Mohamed ◽

Awab Aldow Mohammed ◽

Hassan Alshaikh edris ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Preventive Measures ◽

Age Groups ◽

P Value ◽

Attitude Score ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitude And Practice ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Mean ◽

Knowledge Attitude And Practice

Abstract Background The Novel Corona virus SARS-CoV-2 emerged to affect the human population in 2019 causing COVID-19 pandemic. The only preventive measures available are social distancing, hand washing and face masks. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of the Sudanese people towards COVID-19. Methods An online cross-sectional study targeting adult Sudanese people was conducted in April 2020. The study used a self-administered questionnaire containing 18 knowledge questions, 5 questions for attitude and six questions for practices. Social media such as Facebook and WhatsApp were utilized to disseminate the questionnaire. The total number of eligible questionnaires available for analysis by the end of the period was 987. Results The mean (±SD) age of respondents was 30.13 (±9.84) years with males representing 55.4%. The majority were university and higher education levels (95.2%), residing in Khartoum (71.7%). The mean (±SD) knowledge score of the participants was 15.33 (± 2.24) and was found to be associated with education level and age groups (p-value = 0.022, P value =0.010) respectively. The mean (±SD) attitude score was 04.15 (± 0.97) and was significantly associated with older groups and better-educated participants (p-value =0.001, p-value = 0.048) respectively. The practices related to COVID-19 preventive measures mean (±SD) was 02.58 (± 1.73) with a significant difference between age groups and area of residence. Conclusions This study showed that the participants had good knowledge and satisfactory attitude that was not similarly expressed into practice. Efforts are needed in health education and law enforcement to improve the practices among all groups with special emphasis on younger and less educated males.

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Knowledge, attitude and practice of the Sudanese people towards COVID-19: An online survey

10.21203/rs.3.rs-32375/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Amal Mohamed ◽

Eilaf Elhassan ◽

Abdelrahim O. Mohamed ◽

Awab Aldow Mohammed ◽

Hassan Alshaikh edris ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Preventive Measures ◽

Age Groups ◽

P Value ◽

Attitude Score ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitude And Practice ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Mean ◽

Knowledge Attitude And Practice

Abstract Background: The Novel Corona Virus (SARS-CoV-2) had emerged to affect the human population in 2019 causing COVID-19 pandemic. The only preventive measures available are social distancing, hand washing and face masks. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of the Sudanese people towards COVID-19.Methods: An online cross-sectional study targeting adult Sudanese people was conducted in April 2020. The study used a self-administered questionnaire containing 18 knowledge questions, 5 questions for attitude and six questions for practices. Social media such as Facebook and WhatsApp were utilized to disseminate the questionnaire. The total number of eligible questionnaires available for analysis by the end of the period was 987.Results: The mean (±SD) age of respondents was 30.13 (±9.84) years with males representing 55.4%. The majority were university and higher education levels (95.2%), residing in Khartoum (71.7%). The mean (±SD) knowledge score of the participants was 15.33 (± 2.24) and was found to be associated with education level and age groups (p-value = 0.022, P value =0.010) respectively. The mean (±SD) attitude score was 04.15 (± 0.97) and was significantly associated with older groups and better-educated participants (p-value =0.001, p-value= 0.048) respectively. The practices related to COVID-19 preventive measures mean (±SD) was 02.58 (± 1.73) with a significant difference between age groups and area of residence. Conclusions: This study showed that the participants had good knowledge and satisfactory attitude that was not similarly expressed into practice. Efforts are needed in health education and law enforcement to improve the practices among all groups with special emphasis on younger and less educated males.

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Hydration: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of UK Dietitians

Journal of Biomedical Education ◽

10.1155/2015/172020 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2015 ◽

pp. 1-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Pauline Douglas ◽

Lauren Ball ◽

Lynn McGuffin ◽

Celia Laur ◽

Jennifer Crowley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Patient Care ◽

Online Survey ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Hydration Status ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Nutrition Care ◽

Attitude And Practice ◽

The Mean ◽

Knowledge Attitudes And Practices

Aim. The aim of this study was to investigate dietitians’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding hydration and patient care. Methods. A cross-sectional online survey was administered to UK dietitians via the British Dietetic Association monthly newsletter and included 18 items on hydration knowledge (n=8), attitudes (n=4), and practices (n=6). KAP scores were calculated by adding the total number of correct knowledge responses and by ranking attitude and practice responses on a Likert scale. Results. 97 dietitians completed the online survey and displayed varying levels of KAP regarding hydration and patient care. The mean unweighted scores were knowledge 5.0 (±1.3) out of 8; attitude 13.9 (±1.3) out of 16; practice 14.9 (±2.6) out of 24. Dietitians appeared to be guided by clinical reasoning and priorities for nutrition care. Conclusions. There may be scope to further assess and potentially enhance the KAP of dietitians regarding hydration and patient care. Innovative approaches to hydration promotion are warranted and may include focusing on dietitians’ personal hydration status, increasing communication with other healthcare professionals, and partnering with patients to take a proactive role in hydration monitoring.

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Need for self-medication using over-the-counter psychoactive agents: A national survey in Japan

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0245866 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. e0245866

Author(s):

Akihiro Shiina ◽

Tomihisa Niitsu ◽

Masaomi Iyo

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Psychiatric Symptoms ◽

Health Problems ◽

Self Medication ◽

Over The Counter ◽

Otc Drugs ◽

Sleeping Pills ◽

History Of ◽

Psychiatric Conditions

Self-medication using over-the-counter (OTC) drugs is an option for the autonomous treatment of several health problems. However, the use of OTC drugs to treat psychiatric conditions remains controversial. To clarify opinions regarding the use of OTC drugs to treat psychiatric problems, we conducted an anonymous online survey of 3000 people in Japan. Participants were stratified into three groups according to their history of mental health problems. Few participants had engaged in self-medication using OTC drugs for psychiatric symptoms, with the exception of insomnia. Participants who had used OTC drugs reported feeling less satisfied with their experience compared with those who had consulted a specialist. Participants who had used sleeping pills were likely to hold relatively positive opinions regarding the use of OTC psychiatric drugs. In conclusion, the need for self-medication of psychiatric symptoms appears to be limited. Education and further research may be necessary to promote self-medication for proper treatment of psychiatric conditions in Japan.

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COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance in Azuay Province, Ecuador: A Cross-Sectional Online Survey

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9060678 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 678

Author(s):

Julio Jaramillo-Monge ◽

Michael Obimpeh ◽

Bernardo Vega ◽

David Acurio ◽

Annelies Boven ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Online Survey ◽

Vaccination Campaign ◽

Postgraduate Education ◽

Effective Vaccine ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Lower Education Level ◽

Vaccination Acceptance ◽

History Of ◽

High Level

We investigated the COVID-19 vaccination acceptance level in Azuay province, Ecuador through an online survey from 12th to 26th February (before the start of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Ecuador). Overall, 1219 respondents participated in the survey. The mean age was 32 ± 13 years; 693 participants (57%) were female. In total, 1109 (91%) of the participants indicated they were willing to be vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine, if the vaccine is at least 95% effective; 835 (68.5%) if it is 90% effective and 493 (40.5%) if it is 70% effective; 676 (55.5%) participants indicated they feared side effects and 237 (19.4%) thought the vaccine was not effective. Older age, having had a postgraduate education, a history of a negative COVID-19 test, a high level of worry of contracting COVID-19, believing that COVID-19 infection can be prevented with a vaccine and understanding there is currently an effective vaccine against COVID-19 were associated with higher vaccination acceptance. A vaccination education campaign will be needed to increase the knowledge of Ecuadorians about the COVID-19 vaccine and to increase their trust in the vaccine. People with a lower education level and living in rural areas may need to be targeted during such a campaign.

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Emotional Bonding and Sexual Activity During COVID-19 Lockdown: A Cross-National Pilot Study

Journal of Psychosexual Health ◽

10.1177/26318318211027482 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 263183182110274

Author(s):

Deblina Roy ◽

Sujita Kumar Kar ◽

SM Yasir Arafat ◽

Pawan Sharma ◽

Russell Kabir

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Sexual Relationships ◽

Sexually Active ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Emotional Bonding ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Mean ◽

Study Participants

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures have affected the sexuality and emotional bonding among the couple across the world. Objectives: We aimed to assess the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on the married people’s emotional bonding and sexual relationships in 3 south Asian counties (Bangladesh, India, and Nepal). Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among Bangladesh, India, and Nepal residents from April 3 to April 15, 2020. The survey was designed in English. The participants were selected through convenience sampling technique, the link of the online questionnaire was shared with the participants. Only participants older than 18 years and above, married, and living with their spouses were included in the study. Results: A total number of 120 respondents were included finally for analysis from the participating countries (India, Nepal, and Bangladesh). The mean age of the participants was 35.42 (±5.73) years; the majority were males under the age of 40 years and had completed postgraduation as their qualification. Among the study participants, more than half (53.8%) of the women reported being sexually active during the lockdown, whereas 41% of the men reported being sexually active. Among the sexually active participants, most women (57.7%) reported that they perceived positive emotional bonding with their partners. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference observed when compared with men. There are variations in responses. However, no significant association was identified. Conclusion: There are a few insights from the study, that is, there was no significant difference found in almost 3 countries in emotional intimacy. There had been a trend that there is improved emotional bonding with their partners, although no significant difference was observed.

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JUUL E-Cigarette Quit Attempts and Cessation Perceptions in College Student JUUL E-Cigarette Users

American Journal of Health Promotion ◽

10.1177/0890117120982408 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 089011712098240

Author(s):

Kim Pulvers ◽

John B. Correa ◽

Paul Krebs ◽

Omar El Shahawy ◽

Crystal Marez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

College Student ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Online Survey ◽

Self Report ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Quit Attempt ◽

Lower Confidence ◽

Perceived Difficulty ◽

Quit Attempts ◽

History Of

Purpose: This study describes the frequency of JUUL e-cigarette (referred to as JUUL) quit attempts and identifies characteristics associated with confidence in quitting and perceived difficulty quitting JUUL. Design: Cross-sectional study from a self-administered online survey. Setting: Two public southern California universities. Participants: A total of 1,001 undergraduate students completed the survey from February to May 2019. Measures: Self-report measures about JUUL included use, history of quit attempts, time to first use, perceived difficulty with cessation/reduction, and confidence in quitting. Analysis: Binary logistic regressions were used to identify demographic and tobacco-related behavioral correlates of JUUL cessation-related perceptions and behaviors. Results: Nearly half of ever-JUUL users (47.8%) reported a JUUL quit attempt. Adjusting for demographic factors and other tobacco product use, shorter time to first JUUL use after waking was associated with lower confidence in quitting JUUL (aOR = 0.02, 0.00-0.13) and greater perceived difficulty in quitting JUUL (aOR = 8.08, 2.15-30.35). Previous JUUL quit attempt history was also associated with greater odds of perceived difficulty quitting JUUL (aOR = 5.97, 1.74-20.53). Conclusions: History of JUUL quit attempts among college students was common. Those who had previously tried quitting were more likely to perceive difficulty with cessation. Time to first JUUL use, a marker of dependence, was linked with greater perceived cessation difficulty and lower confidence in quitting. These findings suggest that there is a need for cessation and relapse prevention support for college student JUUL users.

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Behavior of Medical Students toward Over-the-Counter Drugs in Comparison to Students from Other Faculties, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International ◽

10.9734/jpri/2021/v33i35b31911 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 129-135

Author(s):

Amar Fathi Mohamed Khalifa ◽

Yasser Nabil AlKhudairy ◽

Adel Ahmed Algahtani ◽

Bandar Mohammed Abduljabbar ◽

Fahad Majed Aldawsari ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Medical Students ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

P Value ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Self Medication ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Over The Counter ◽

Otc Drugs ◽

Professional Guidance

Background: Over-the-counter-drugs (OTC) are drugs that can be obtained by patients without a prescription from a physician. In Saudi Arabia, it has been reported that more than half of university students practiced self-medication and used OTC drugs. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study, among medical and non-medical students in Riyadh. The sample size was 421, by systemic random sampling. A pre-coded pre-tested online questionnaire was used. Data was analyzed using SPSS V 23. P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results: There was no significant relationship between what the participants were majoring in and the usage of OTC drugs (p value= 0.373). Gender also had no relation with the use of OTC (p value= 0.168). Panadol appeared as the most commonly used OTC drug 62.9% for the relief of the most commonly mentioned factor which is headache 50.12%. Conclusion: Medical education didn’t have much of an effect on the use of OTC drugs. Moreover, professional guidance or advice was not considered most of the time for taking OTC, but the majority of respondents portrayed good behavior towards usage of OTC.

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