scholarly journals Study of Self-medication among First and Seventh Semester Medical and Dental Undergraduate Students of Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in Nepal: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 59 (233) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jyoti Tara Manandhar Shrestha ◽  
Dilip Kumar Kushwaha ◽  
Saurabh Tiwari ◽  
Pratigya Bhattarai

Introduction: Although appropriate self-medication can ease minor illness and is time and costeffective, it can lead to irrational drug use and increased resistance, leading to prolonged morbidity. Inclined towards medical information and drug indices, medical students have an open arena for self-medication practice. This study was conducted to find the prevalence of self-medication among first and seventh semester medical and dental students in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among medical and dental undergraduates from July 2020 to August 2020 after receiving ethical clearance from the Institutional Review Committee of Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences (IRC Approval Number:35/20). A questionnaire was responded to by participants through a google form. Participants were enrolled through the convenience sampling method. Data were collected and entered in Microsoft Excel and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25. Results: Out of 199 respondents, the prevalence of self-medication was 100 (50.3%) (46.76-53.84 at 95% Confidence Interval). First semester medical 36 (73.5%) and dental undergraduates 24 (80%) had higher practice. Seventh-semester medical students 14 (51.9%) usually self-medicated within one day of onset of symptoms. Headache 47 (47%) was the most common indication. Analgesics 62 (62%) were most commonly used drugs procured most commonly from pharmacies 114 (57.3%). Dosage form was drug selection criteria for 120 (60.3%) students. Conclusions: Since self-medication is crammed with serious health hazards, proper exposure to the topic should be given to medical, dental students, and pharmacists. The implication of selfmedication into the pharmacology syllabus is a must.

Author(s):  
Alisha Johnson ◽  
Sruthi M. Valsan

Background: Alertness and ability to perform vary as functions of homeostatic factors such as sleep duration, sleep quality, and time awake. As far as medical students are concerned, alertness during the lectures is important due to their vast curriculum, and their alertness aids in the development of better doctors in their future. Though the importance of sleep is known, there is scarcity of studies on how adequate sleep among medical students affects their alertness during lecture classes. The aim was to study effect of sleep duration on alertness among medical students from a tertiary care hospital in Thrissur district, Kerala.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate medical students and alertness was assessed following afternoon lecture classes, using a Stanford sleepiness scale questionnaire. The sample size was calculated with a formula 4PQ/d2 and total 202 undergraduate students were included. The data regarding overnight sleep duration and post lunch nap was also collected using a semi-structured questionnaire.Results: Based on stanford sleepiness scale 66.3% of students were alert and responsive, 29.2% were not alert and only 4.5% of students were sleepy following afternoon lecture classes. Out of total 202 undergraduate students 43.6% of them had poor overnight sleep and only 32.7% had taken post lunch nap. There was a statistically significant association between alertness and post lunch nap (p=0.01).Conclusions: Those students who had good overnight sleep and post lunch nap had better alertness during lecture classes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 59 (238) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jyoti Prabha Bharati ◽  
Sanjay Ulak ◽  
Merina Vaidya Shrestha ◽  
Sanjay Mani Dixit ◽  
Anna Acharya ◽  
...  

Introduction: Primary dysmenorrhea is one of the most common gynecological problems among adolescent females. It is defined as painful menses in women with normal pelvic anatomy, usually beginning during adolescence. This study aims to find out prevalence of self-medication practice in primary dysmenorrhea among medical and nursing undergraduate students. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital from November 2020 to March 2021 after taking ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee. Convenient sampling technique was used. A total of 269 female medical and nursing students with complaints of dysmenorrhea were enrolled and the remedial methods used by them such as self-medication, medical advice and home remedies for dysmenorrhea were asked using an online questionnaire delivered to participants. Data analysis was done in the Statistical Package of Social Sciences. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data. Results: Self-medication practice for dysmenorrhea was reported in 175 (65%) of students. The prevalence of mild or moderate pain was commonly present in age group 21-25 years. commonly used for self-medication was mefenamic acid 121 (48%), followed by ibuprofen 51 (20.3%) and paracetamol 41 (16.3%). Conclusions: Self- medication practice among medical and nursing undergraduate students is high despite awareness of adverse effects.


2021 ◽  
Vol 59 (236) ◽  
Author(s):  
Priyanka Shah ◽  
Alisha Sapkota ◽  
Anjeel Chhetri

Introduction: Medical students are prone to develop stress, anxiety and depression owing to vastness of curriculum, hectic lifestyle, economic burden, and competitiveness of medical field. The study aims to find out the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among first-year medical students. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 91 first-year students of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery enrolled in a tertiary care hospital using depression, anxiety, and stress-42 scale along with a questionnaire regarding sociodemographic and stressors for their problems. Whole sampling was done and the study was conducted between June and July 2018 after taking ethical approval from the Research and Institutional Review Committee (Reference Number: 57-074/075). Results: The highest prevalence among undergraduate medical students was found to be anxiety 54 (59.3%), followed by stress 41 (45.1%) and depression 40 (44%). Conclusions: Almost half of the first-year medical students reported some level of depression, anxiety, or stress. It is important to implement programs in the early years of the medical school from the administrative level to help and identify students suffering from depression, anxiety, and stress.


2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (232) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pravakar Dawadi ◽  
Sabina Khadka ◽  
Milan Chandra Khanal ◽  
Raj Kumar Thapa

Introduction: Voluntary blood donation is a reliable source of increasing the demand for blood transfusion. Medical students are the potential pool of blood donors. This study aims to find the prevalence of blood donation practice among medical students of a medical college in Nepal. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in a medical college of Nepal among students studying from the first year to final year MBBS. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Committee of the Nepalese Army Institute of Health Sciences (Ref no. 245). A stratified random sampling technique was used to collect data. A self-administered pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2016. Results: The prevalence of blood donation practice among medical students of the medical college is 41 (22.20%) (17.35-27.05 at 95% Confidence Interval). The practice of blood donation is seen more among students of the final year 15 (35.71%) and the least among first year 3 (8.57%). Most of the donors, 24 (58.54%), have donated blood only once before. The most common reasons for donating and not donating blood before are ‘behavior of altruism’ 12 (29.27%) and ‘I am not fit/disapproved’ 44 (30.56%) respectively. Conclusions: This study shows less prevalence of blood donation practice among medical students. It points to the need for more extensive studies to explore the factors deterring medical students from donating blood. Definitive strategies are also needed to encourage medical students to increased voluntary participation in blood donation.


Author(s):  
Mandar K. Sadawarte ◽  
Meena K. Kakeri ◽  
Deepika Y. Nandanwar

Background: Learning community medicine helps the student not only to become a good clinician but also a good manager, educator and a researcher. Community medicine exposes medical students to primary and secondary healthcare settings and to promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative health services. This helps them to serve the needy people with a holistic approach. The objective is to find the perceptions of medical students regarding Community Medicine as a Medical Subject and as a career preference. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of 2 months. It was conducted on 200 students of Final year part I of MBBS in a tertiary care hospital by using universal sampling method. Data was collected from all the students using a self-administered pre-tested questionnaire using Likert’s scale. Results: Total 212 students participated in this study out of which 125 were boys and 87 were girls. The perceptions of students about community medicine were that this field gives an overall view of community’s medical needs. Curriculum is too vast and needs to be modified. More research should be done in community. Teaching methodology should be modified for making topics interesting. More number of girls was interested in taking community medicine as a career. Conclusions: Students perceptions regarding the field of community medicine showed that community medicine is essential for successful medical practice. But the teachers must make this subject more interesting by giving more practical insight and improving the teaching modalities. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 59 (240) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chandra Kala Rai ◽  
Sarbada Makaju

Introduction: Today’s generation is facing an increased prevalence of overweight and obesity. It may be genetic or habitual due to overeating of junk foods and sedentary lifestyle. It directly affects an individual personality and health. The main aim of this study is to find out the prevalence of overweight among medical students in a tertiary care center. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study done in 385 students in a tertiary care hospital from 25th January 2020 to 28th February 2021. The sample was collected by simple random sampling method after the approval from the Institutional Review Committee of Kathmandu Medical College and Teaching Hospital. Height in meter and weight in kilogram of students were measured to calculate body mass index. Data were analyzed by using Statistical Package of Social Science software version 16. Point estimate at 95% confidence interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data. Results: Among 385 students, 75 (19.48%) (95% Confidence Interval= 15.53%-23.44%) were overweight. Fifty-seven (14.85%) males and 18 (4.69%) females were overweight respectively. In total, there were 197 (51.01%) males and 188 (48.99%) females. Conclusions: The current study shows the prevalence of overweight among medical students is slightly higher than in studies done in similar settings.


2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (225) ◽  
Author(s):  
Namita Kumari Mandal ◽  
Gajendra Prasad Rauniyar ◽  
Dilli Sher Rai ◽  
Dipesh Raj Panday ◽  
Ramayan Kushwaha ◽  
...  

Introduction: Self-medication plays significant role in the development of adverse drug reactions,antibiotic resistance, and masking of underlying diseases. Medical students have some knowledgeabout the use of antibiotics and have a higher chance of irrational and injudicious use. This studyaims to find the prevalence of self-medication practice of antibiotics among medical and dentalundergraduate students. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done among medical and dental undergraduatestudents from the first year to the fifth year at BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences from 1st June2018 to 30th August 2018. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Committee(IRC/1210/018). Whole sampling was done. Data was collected using a self-responding, semistructured questionnaire and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 11.5. Results: In total 558 students, the prevalence of self-medication practice of different antibioticswas 285 (51.1%) within the past year. Among self-medicated students, 152 (53.3%) were males. Thecommon drug self-medicated was Azithromycin 80 (28.1%) and the common medical condition touse non-prescription antibiotics was for treatment of sore throat with runny nose 129 (45.3%). Themain source for obtaining non-prescription antibiotics were retail pharmacies 157 (55.1%). Conclusions: Self-medication with antibiotics was at increasing rate with each succeeding yearsof the medical courses. Medical students should be made aware of the rational use of antibioticsby incorporating appropriate courses in their academic curriculum for more refined practice onantibiotics rather than advancement of theoretical knowledge alone.


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