scholarly journals Self-Medication Practices and Associated Factors in the Prevention and/or Treatment of COVID-19 Virus: A Population-Based Survey in Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Ike Wegbom ◽  
Clement Kevin Edet ◽  
Olatunde Raimi ◽  
Adeniyi Francis Fagbamigbe ◽  
Victor Alangibi Kiri

Background: The anxiety caused by the emergence of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) globally has made many Nigerians resort to self-medication for purported protection against the disease, amid fear of contracting it from health workers and hospital environments. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the knowledge level, causes, prevalence, and determinants of self-medication practices for the prevention and/or treatment of COVID-19 in Nigeria.Methods: A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted between June and July 2020 among the Nigerian population, using a self-reported questionnaire. Statistical analysis of descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses was done using STATA 15.Results: A total of 461 respondents participated in the survey. Almost all the respondents had sufficient knowledge about self-medication (96.7%). The overall prevalence of self-medication for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 was 41%. The contributing factors were fear of stigmatization or discrimination (79.5%), fear of being quarantine (77.3%), and fear of infection or contact with a suspected person (76.3%). The proximal reasons for self-medication were emergency illness (49.1%), delays in receiving hospital services (28.1%), distance to the health facility (23%), and proximity of the pharmacy (21%). The most commonly used drugs for self-medication were vitamin C and multivitamin (51.8%) and antimalarials (24.9%). These drugs were bought mainly from pharmacies (73.9%). From the multivariable logistic regression model, males (OR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.07–0.54), and sufficient knowledge on SM (OR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.19–0.77) were significantly associated with self-medication.Conclusion: The key finding of this study was the use of different over-the-counter medications for the prevention (mainly vitamin C and multivitamins) and treatment (antibiotics/antimicrobial) of perceived COVID-19 infection by Nigerians with mainly tertiary education. This is despite their high knowledge and risk associated with self-medication. We suggest that medication outlets, media and community should be engaged to support the rational use of medication.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Ike Wegbom ◽  
Clement Kevin Edet ◽  
Olatunde Raimi ◽  
Adeniyi Francis Fagbamigbe ◽  
Victor Alangibi Kiri

Abstract Background: The anxiety caused by the emergence of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) globally has made many Nigerians resort to self-medication for purported protection against the disease, amid fear of contracting it from health workers and hospital environments. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate the knowledge level, causes, prevalence, and determinants of self-medication practices for the prevention and/or treatment of COVID-19 in Nigeria.Methods: A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted between June and July 2020 among the Nigerian population, using a self-reported questionnaire. Statistical analysis of descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses was done using STATA 15.Results: A total of 461 respondents participated in the survey. Almost all the respondents had sufficient knowledge about self-medication (96.7%). The overall prevalence of self-medication for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 was 41%. The contributing factors were fear of stigmatization or discrimination (79.5%), fear of being quarantine (77.3%), and fear of infection or contact with a suspected person (76.3%). The proximal reasons for self-medication were emergency illness (49.1%), delays in receiving hospital services (28.1%), distance to the health facility (23%), and proximity of the pharmacy (21%). The most commonly used drugs for self-medication were vitamin C and multivitamin (51.8%) and antimalarials (24.9%). These drugs were bought mainly from pharmacies (73.9%). From the multivariate logistic regression model, male gender (OR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.07–0.54), and sufficient knowledge on SM (OR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.19–0.77) were significantly associated with self-medication.Conclusion: Despite the high knowledge and the risks associated with self-medication among the respondents, the practice is prevalent for perceived COVID-19 prevention and treatment. Based on the findings of this study the media and the community-based should be engaged to create awareness on the dangers of self-medication and the need for positive health behaviour concerning COVID-19. Pharmacies, patent medicine vendors, and traditional medicine practitioners have a role to play since most of the drugs are bought from them. A review and activation of relevant laws on drug use are also suggested.


Author(s):  
Vijayan Neena ◽  
Neelakandhan Asokan ◽  
Rajany Jose ◽  
A. Sarin

Background: There are very few population-based studies on the prevalence of eczema among older persons Aims: To estimate the prevalence and types of eczema in those aged 65 years or more in the community and to evaluate the effectiveness of community-based interventions for case finding. Methods: In the first stage of this cross-sectional survey, trained health workers of a non-governmental organization surveyed the eligible population and identified persons likely to have eczema. In the second stage, dermatologists examined such persons to ascertain the diagnosis. Statistical analysis was done using Epi Info software version 7. Prevalence of eczema was expressed in percentages. Chi-square test was used for comparing the difference in prevalence of eczema in various age groups and sex. Results: Health workers identified 98 persons as possible cases of eczema after interviewing 385 older persons in the community. Among them 95 persons were examined by dermatologists and 44 were confirmed to have eczema (diagnostic accuracy of health workers = 46.3%).Point prevalence of eczema was 11.4% (44/385). Prevalence was similar in males and females. It was greater (18.2 %) among persons aged 81 years or more. Asteatotic eczema, gravitational eczema and lichen simplex chronicus were the more common types of eczema. Limitations: Possible underestimation of the prevalence rates due to limited medical knowledge of health workers; limited facilities for examination and investigations at the medical camps and home visits. Conclusion: There appears to be a considerable burden of eczema among older persons in the community. A community-based approach involving non-governmental organizations has the potential to identify cases and offer care close to their homes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rune Jonassen ◽  
Eva Hilland ◽  
Catherine J. Harmer ◽  
Dawit S. Abebe ◽  
Anne Kristine Bergem ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Over-the-counter analgesics (OTCA) such as Paracetamol and Ibuprofen are frequently used by adolescents, and the route of administration and access at home allows unsupervised use. Psychological distress and pain occur simultaneously and are more common among females than among males. There is a dynamic interplay between on-label pain indications and psychological distress, and frequent OTCA use or misuse can exacerbate symptoms. No studies have to date provided an overview of frequent OTCA use in a larger population-based study. The current study used survey data to explore associations between and the relative predictive value of on-label pain indication and measures of psychological distress, together with sex differences for weekly OTCA use. Methods This study included 349,528 adolescents aged 13–19. The data was collected annually between January 2014 and December 2018 as part of the Norwegian Young Data survey. Performance analysis was conducted to explore the relative roles and associations between on-label pain indication and psychological distress in weekly OTCA use. A mixed-effects logistic regression model was used to explore the unique contributions from four domains of on-label pain indication and psychological distress as measured by a combined measure of anxiety and depression (HSCL-10) and peer-bullying involvement as victims or bullies. Results Thirty percent of females and 13 % of males use OTCA weekly. Headache is the strongest on-label pain predictor of weekly OTCA use, followed by abdominal pain. Depression and anxiety are the strongest psychological predictor of weekly OTCA use, and higher symptom levels and being female increase the strength of this association. Anxiety and depression also predict weekly OTCA use after controlling for physiological pain. Conclusions Sex, pain and anxiety and depression are inter-correlated and strong predictors of frequent OTCA use. Frequent OTCA use in the context of psychological distress may be a form of self-medication that can exacerbate symptoms and decrease psychosocial function. Longitudinal studies that explore causal trajectories between frequent on-label OTCA use and psychological distress are required. OTCA use among adolescents, and particularly among females, with anxiety and depression should be administered with caution and closely monitored.


Author(s):  
Balasubramaniam Bharath ◽  
Sannapaneni Krishnaiah ◽  
Ahmed Imtiaz ◽  
Ramanathan V. Ramani

Background: Cataract is the leading cause of avoidable blindness in most parts of developing world, including India. The objectives were to assess cataract surgical coverage (CSC) and investigate the determinants for CSC among people aged 50 years or older in India.Methods: A population-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted to include 2023 residents aged ≥50 years old from 72 clusters of 20 districts in six states from various parts of India. Presenting visual acuity (VA), history of cataract surgery and operable cataract were assessed by trained professionals. Prevalence of CSC and factors influencing cataract surgery (CS) were studied in the multivariable logistic regression model. A two-sided p-value of <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.Results: Cataract surgery was done in 478 (23.6%) people in both eyes. Using VA<6/18 cut-off, the CSC was estimated as 67.2% in persons. In LR model, increased age was significantly associated with increased CS (P<0.0001). The odds of prevalence of CS was significantly lower in Uttar Pradesh; adjusted Odds Ratio (OR), 0.59; (95% CI: 0.36-0.95; p=0.032) and in persons with diabetes; OR: 0.61; (95% CI: 0.38-0.94; p=0.028).Conclusions: Cataract surgical need is currently not being met in India and the increasing prevalence of diabetes is an additional major challenge in addressing the gap in CS.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 436-454
Author(s):  
Elizabeth E. Eze ◽  
Emmanuel. U. Asogwa

The study investigated the knowledge of artificial fruit ripening among consumers in Rivers State. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional survey design. Four research questions and three null hypotheses tested at .05 alpha level guided the study. The population for the study was 2,617,600 respondents in fruit markets in Rivers State. A sample size of 1,024 fruit consumers was drawn suing multistage sampling procedure. Data were collected using a validated self-structured questionnaire titled "Knowledge of Artificial Fruit Ripening (KAFR)”. Guttman Split-Half Coefficient of 0.881 was obtained using Pearson Product Moment Correlation in conjunction with Spearman Brown correction statistics. Data were analyzed using percentage, mean, standard deviation, Chi-square, z-test, and One way Analysis of Variance. It was found that consumers had moderate knowledge of artificial fruit ripening in Rivers State. Also, male consumers, those within 31-40 years and those with tertiary education had higher knowledge of artificial fruit ripening. More so, the study revealed significant difference in knowledge among consumers in Rivers State based on gender, age and level of education. Based on the findings, the study recommended among others that; community health workers in Rivers State should organize regular heath education campaigns concerning the dangers of using chemicals for fruit ripening among consumers in Rivers State.   


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Bernadetha Vania Eveliani ◽  
Shirly Gunawan

Antibiotik merupakan salah satu golongan obat yang banyak digunakan di Indonesia. Data Riskesdas menunjukkan cukup banyak masyarakat yang menyimpan antibiotik di rumah tangga dimana sebagian besar diperoleh tanpa resep dokter. Banyak masyarakat yang melakukan pengobatan sendiri (swamedikasi).  Tingginya angka penggunaan antibiotik tanpa resep dokter membuat penggunaannya menjadi irasional dan berdampak pada  timbulnya resistensi obat. Salah satu faktor penyebabnya ialah kurangnya pengetahuan masyarakat mengenai penggunaan obat, khususnya antibiotik. Studi ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui gambaran ketepatan penggunaan dan tingkat pengetahuan mengenai antibiotik pada karyawan Universitas Tarumanagara. Studi ini bersifat deskriptif, dilakukan dengan desain cross sectional survey. Pengumpulan data dilakukan melalui pemberian kuesioner terhadap 114 orang responden. Dari hasil penelitian ini diketahui sebagian besar responden yaitu sebanyak 104 orang (91,2%) mengonsumsi antibiotik amoxycillin. Ketepatan dalam penggunaan antibiotik dinilai dari ketepatan dosis, frekuensi minum obat dan lama pemberian obat. Hasil studi  menunjukkan sebanyak 100% responden telah mengonsumsi antibiotik dengan dosis tepat.  Sebagian besar responden tepat mengonsumsi obat sesuai frekuensi yang dianjurkan (88,6%), dan 93,9% tepat mengonsumsi antibiotik sesuai dengan lama waktu yang seharusnya. Secara umum dapat dinilai sebanyak 70,2% responden telah menggunakan antibiotik dengan tepat dan 47,4% responden memiliki pengetahuan “baik” mengenai antibiotik. Masih ada sebagian responden yang menggunakan antibiotik dengan tidak tepat sehingga perlu ditingkatkan pengetahuan mengenai antibiotik supaya tidak terjadi resistensi antibiotik. Antibiotics are widely used in Indonesia. Riset Kesehatan Dasar (Riskesdas) shows that some people store antibiotics at home, most of which are obtained without a doctor's prescription. Many people do self-medication. The high rate of use of antibiotics without a doctor's prescription makes their use irrational and impacts the emergence of drug resistance. One of the contributing factors is the lack of public knowledge about the use of drugs, especially antibiotics. This study aims to describe the accuracy of the use and level of knowledge about antibiotics in Tarumanagara University employees. This study is descriptive, conducted with a cross-sectional survey design. Data was collected through the provision of questionnaires to 114 respondents. This study showed that most of the respondents, as many as 104 people (91.2%), took amoxicillin antibiotics. The accuracy of antibiotics-using is assessed by determining the accuracy of the dose, frequency of drug-taking, and duration of drug administration. The study results showed that as many as 100% of the respondents had taken the correct dose of antibiotics. Most of the respondents took the right medicine according to the recommended frequency (88.6%) and duration (93.9%). The study showed that 70.2% of respondents had used antibiotics correctly, and 47.4% of respondents have "good" knowledge about antibiotics. Some respondents still misuse antibiotics, so that knowledge about antibiotics needs to be increased so that antibiotic resistance does not occur.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nitsu Addis ◽  
Muluken Azage ◽  
Dabere Nigatu ◽  
Kristen Kirksey

Abstract Background: Alcohol use during pregnancy is a modifiable health behavior that causes a range of health problems in infants, including impaired growth, stillbirth, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. However, there is lack of comprehensive information on alcohol use and associated factors during pregnancy using a population-based dataset in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of alcohol use during pregnancy and associated factors using a national, population-based survey.Methods: The study utilized data from the 2011 and 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey, a cross-sectional survey conducted on a nationally representative sample. The survey employed a multistage cluster sampling method to generate representative national and sub-national health and health related indicators. A total of 2,341 pregnant women were included in the analysis. Factors associated with alcohol use were identified using multivariable logistic regression model. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were computed to quantify the degree of association between independent variables and alcohol use.Results: In Ethiopia, the prevalence of alcohol use among pregnant women was 30.2% (95% CI: 28.4%-32.2%). The study identified that being employed (AOR: 2.07; 95%CI: 1.55-2.77), ever attempted termination of pregnancy (AOR: 2.21; 95% CI: 1.60-3.05), having two (AOR: 2.56; 95% CI: 1.76-3.72), or three (AOR: 2.98; 95% CI: 1.40-6.35) sexual partners in lifetime and chat chewing (AOR: 8.91; 95% CI: 4.61-17.23) had increased the odds of alcohol use during pregnancy.Conclusion: In this study, the prevalence of alcohol use during pregnancy among Ethiopian mothers was high. Working status, ever used something to terminate the pregnancy, more than one lifetime partner, and chat chewing were factors associated with alcohol use during pregnancy. Thus, prevention interventions and strategies can draw on the identified modifiable health behaviors.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rune Jonassen ◽  
Eva Hilland ◽  
Catherine J. Harmer ◽  
Dawit S. Abebe ◽  
Anne Kristine Bergem ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Over-the-counter analgesics (OTCA) such as Paracetamol and Ibuprofen are frequently used by adolescents, and the route of administration and access at home allows unsupervised use. Psychological distress and pain occur simultaneously and are more common among females than among males. There is a dynamic interplay between on-label pain indications and psychological distress, and frequent OTCA use or misuse can exacerbate symptoms. No studies have to date provided an overview of frequent OTCA use in a larger population-based study. The current study used survey data to explore associations between and the relative predictive value of on-label pain indication and measures of psychological distress, together with sex differences for weekly OTCA use.Methods: This study included 349,528 adolescents aged 13-19. The data was collected annually between January 2014 and December 2018 as part of the Norwegian Young Data survey. Performance analysis was conducted to explore the relative roles and associations between on-label pain indication and psychological distress in weekly OTCA use. A mixed-effects logistic regression model was used to explore the unique contributions from four domains of on-label pain indication and psychological distress as measured by a combined measure of anxiety and depression (HSCL-10) and peer-bullying involvement as victims or bullies.Results: Thirty percent of females and thirteen percent of males use OTCA weekly. Headache is the strongest on-label pain predictor of weekly OTCA use, followed by abdominal pain. Depression and anxiety are the strongest psychological predictor of weekly OTCA use, and higher symptom levels and being female increase the strength of this association. Anxiety and depression also predict weekly OTCA use after controlling for physiological pain.Conclusions: Sex, pain and anxiety and depression are inter-correlated and strong predictors of frequent OTCA use. Frequent OTCA use in the context of psychological distress may be a form of self-medication that can exacerbate symptoms and decrease psychosocial function. Longitudinal studies that explore causal trajectories between frequent on-label OTCA use and psychological distress are required. OTCA use among adolescents, and particularly among females, with anxiety and depression should be administered with caution and closely monitored.


Author(s):  
Elora Sharmin ◽  
Sharmin Begum ◽  
Swarmita Afreen ◽  
Diana Islam ◽  
Sheikh Foyez Ahmed

Background: To date there is no effective treatment against COVID-19. Self-medication played one of the major modes of treatment among general population as well as the health workers during this pandemic. Studying the pattern of self-medication among the health care workers (HCWs) may indicate their knowledge and skills towards rational use of medicines. The aim of the study was to assess the pattern self-medication among the COVID-19 affected HCWs.Methods: This cross-sectional survey assessed the pattern of drug used by self-medication among the health workers who were RT-PCR positive in context to Bangladesh.Results: A total of 267 HCWs data were collected. Most of the HCWs were in middle age group between 31-40 years with the mean age of 32.2±5.2. Doctors (83.9%) enrolled five times more than the nurses (16.1%). Most of the HCWs (60.3%) commenced medications just after appearance of symptoms and 27.0% went for the RT-PCR testing. Only 3.7% went to health care facilities for treatment. More than sixty percent of the respondents took medication by themselves just after start the symptoms, 19 (33.7%) took advised from the specialists and attended at health facilities 2.6%. Most of the patients (42.7%) used azithromycin as antimicrobial agent. Paracetamol was the most used drug among the participants (78.65%) followed by antihistamines (67.79%). Average number of drugs used by patients 3.1% and percentage of antibiotics per patients 42.6%.Conclusions: The prescribing practice of antibiotics shows deviation from the standard recommendation. Awareness regarding essentials drug list should be needed. 


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0256555
Author(s):  
Joseph R. Starnes ◽  
Jane Wamae ◽  
Vincent Okoth ◽  
Daniele J. Ressler ◽  
Vincent Were ◽  
...  

Migori County is located in western Kenya bordering Lake Victoria and has traditionally performed poorly on important health metrics, including child mortality and HIV prevalence. The Lwala Community Alliance is a non-governmental organization that serves to promote the health and well-being of communities in Migori County through an innovative model utilizing community health workers, community committees, and high-quality facility-based care. This has led to improved outcomes in areas served, including improvements in childhood mortality. As the Lwala Community Alliance expands to new programming areas, it has partnered with multiple academic institutions to rigorously evaluate outcomes. We describe a repeated cross-sectional survey study to evaluate key health metrics in both areas served by the Lwala Community Alliance and comparison areas. This will allow for longitudinal evaluation of changes in metrics over time. Surveys will be administered by trained enumerators on a tablet-based platform to maintain high data quality.


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