Practice of storage, reuse and disposal of unused medications among semi-urban households of Northern Tamil Nadu – A Community Based Cross-Sectional Study

Medicine is a science of uncertainty and an art of probability. Inappropriate disposal of medicines may be harmful to the environment as well as mankind, at the same time improper storage is detrimental. Hence assessment of the ways of Storage, reuse and disposal of unused medications plays a key role. The objective of the study is to investigate the storage and reuse practices of unused medications and to gain insight on knowledge and attitude of proper disposal practices of unused medicines among semi-urban households in urban field practice area of Tertiary medical college hospital of northern Tamil Nadu. This study is a community based cross sectional study. A total of 243 study participants were enrolled using multistage random sampling method. Pretested semi-structured questionnaire is used for conducting face to face interviews. Procurement of medicines is mainly through pharmacy without prescriptions (40.32%), most of the families (42.8%) stored used and unused medications together. On inspection of drugs, 29.6% of expired medicines and 22.23% of medicines without labels were found. The predominant way of disposing medicines is disposal through garbage (51.4%). Addiction level is not much noted and negligible amount of people are aware of drug take back program (0.82%). Awareness must be created about wrongful procurement of drugs, and improper storage of drugs. Drug take back program must be initiated to reduce the improper disposal of drugs.

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Reproductive pattern, perinatal mortality, and sex preference in rural Tamil Nadu, South India: community based, cross sectional study

BMJ ◽

10.1136/bmj.314.7093.1521 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 314 (7093) ◽

pp. 1521-1521 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

B. B. Nielsen ◽

J. Liljestrand ◽

M. Hedegaard ◽

S. H. Thilsted ◽

A. Joseph

Keyword(s):

Perinatal Mortality ◽

Tamil Nadu ◽

South India ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Reproductive Pattern ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Community Based ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Sex Preference

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Knowledge and attitude of the communities towards COVID-19 and associated factors among Gondar City residents, northwest Ethiopia: A community based cross-sectional study

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0248821 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. e0248821

Author(s):

Asefa Adimasu Taddese ◽

Zelalem Nigussie Azene ◽

Mehari Woldemariam Merid ◽

Atalay Goshu Muluneh ◽

Demiss Mulatu Geberu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Family Size ◽

Educational Level ◽

Associated Factors ◽

Binary Logistic Regression ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Community Based ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Knowledge And Attitude ◽

Significant Factors

Background COVID-19 is the novel coronavirus responsible for the ongoing global outbreak of acute respiratory disease and viral pneumonia. In order to tackle the devastating condition of the virus, countries need to attack the virus with aggressive and targeted tactics. Thus, to strengthen the COVID-19 mitigation measures and to give rapid response, there is an urgent need to understand the public’s knowledge and attitude about of the pandemic at this critical moment. Objective This study was aimed to assess the knowledge and attitude of communities about COVID-19 and associated factors among Gondar City residents. Methods A community based cross-sectional study was done among 623 respondents in Gondar city from April 20-27/2020. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire adapted from different literatures. The data were entered using Epi data version 3.1 and then exported into STATA version 14 for analysis. Bi-variable and multivariable binary logistic regression were performed. Adjusted odds ratio with 95% CI was used to declare statistically significant variables on the basis of p value less than 0.05 in the multivariable binary logistic regression model. Results The overall knowledge and attitude of the community towards COVID19 was 51.85% [95% CI (47.91%-55.78%)] and 53.13% [95% CI (49.20, 57.06%)], respectively. In this study, being married [AOR = 0.60 at 95% CI: (0.42, 0.86)], educational level; primary [AOR = 3.14 at 95% CI: (1.78,5.54)], secondary [AOR = 2.81 at 95% CI: (1.70,4.63)], college and above [AOR = 4.49 at 95% CI: 7.92, 13.98)], and family size [AOR = 1.80, at 95% CI: (1.05, 3.08)] were emerged as statistically significant factors impacting the knowledge of the community about COVID-19. Besides, educational level; primary [AOR = 1.76 at 95% CI: (1.03, 3.01)], secondary [AOR = 1.69 at 95% CI: (1.07, 2.68)], and college & above [AOR = 2.38 at 95% CI: (1.50, 3.79)], and family size; four to six members [AOR = 1.84 at 95% CI (1.27, 2.67)], above seven members [AOR = 1.79 at 95% CI (1.08, 2.96)] were factors identified as significantly attribute for positive attitude of the communities towards COVID-19. Conclusion More than half of the respondents had better knowledge and attitude regarding COVID-19. Higher educational level and larger family size were significant factors predominantly affecting the knowledge and attitude of the communities towards COVID-19.

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