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Self-Medication Practice and Associated Factors Among University of Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

PURPOSE: Self-medication is the use of medicines by individuals to treat self-recognized illnesses or symptoms without any medical supervision. Such practices may cause antimicrobial resistance, which causes treatment failure, economic loss, serious health hazards, missed diagnosis, delayed appropri...

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Autores principales: Zeru, Nuhamin, Fetene, Destaw, Geberu, Demiss Mulatu, Melesse, Alemakef Wagnew, Atnafu, Asmamaw
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Dove 2020
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7535137/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33061320
http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/PPA.S274634
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author Zeru, Nuhamin
Fetene, Destaw
Geberu, Demiss Mulatu
Melesse, Alemakef Wagnew
Atnafu, Asmamaw
author_facet Zeru, Nuhamin
Fetene, Destaw
Geberu, Demiss Mulatu
Melesse, Alemakef Wagnew
Atnafu, Asmamaw
author_sort Zeru, Nuhamin
collection PubMed
description PURPOSE: Self-medication is the use of medicines by individuals to treat self-recognized illnesses or symptoms without any medical supervision. Such practices may cause antimicrobial resistance, which causes treatment failure, economic loss, serious health hazards, missed diagnosis, delayed appropriate treatment, drug dependency, and adverse drug effects. However, empirical evidence is limited to the current status of its practices and associated factors among university students. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the magnitude and associated factors of self-medication practices among medicine and health science students at the University of Gondar. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study was employed from February to March 2017. A total of 792 randomly selected students were surveyed with a self-administered structured questionnaire. Epi Info version 7 and SPSS version 20 were used for data entry and analysis, respectively. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed. In multivariable analysis, P-value <0.05 and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to identify associated factors. RESULTS: Self-medication practice was found to be 52.4% (95% CI: (49%, 56%)) among university students. For most students, the major reason for using self-medication was taking the illness as less serious (71.1%). Females (AOR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.08–2.01), income category (USD 44.01–175.87) (AOR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.29–0.78), sixth year students (AOR: 8.71; 95% CI: 4.04–18.77) and health officer students (AOR: 2.36; 95% CI: 1.20–4.63) were found to be significantly associated with self-medication practice. CONCLUSION: More than half of the students practiced self-medication, which is moderately higher than other findings. Gender, income, year of study, and field of study were the major factors that affected self-medication. Therefore, interventions that can halt the high magnitude of self-medication and factors associated with it are crucial. Special attention should be given to students who stay in the university for longer years.
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spelling pubmed-75351372020-10-14 Self-Medication Practice and Associated Factors Among University of Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences Students: A Cross-Sectional Study Zeru, Nuhamin Fetene, Destaw Geberu, Demiss Mulatu Melesse, Alemakef Wagnew Atnafu, Asmamaw Patient Prefer Adherence Original Research PURPOSE: Self-medication is the use of medicines by individuals to treat self-recognized illnesses or symptoms without any medical supervision. Such practices may cause antimicrobial resistance, which causes treatment failure, economic loss, serious health hazards, missed diagnosis, delayed appropriate treatment, drug dependency, and adverse drug effects. However, empirical evidence is limited to the current status of its practices and associated factors among university students. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the magnitude and associated factors of self-medication practices among medicine and health science students at the University of Gondar. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study was employed from February to March 2017. A total of 792 randomly selected students were surveyed with a self-administered structured questionnaire. Epi Info version 7 and SPSS version 20 were used for data entry and analysis, respectively. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed. In multivariable analysis, P-value <0.05 and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to identify associated factors. RESULTS: Self-medication practice was found to be 52.4% (95% CI: (49%, 56%)) among university students. For most students, the major reason for using self-medication was taking the illness as less serious (71.1%). Females (AOR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.08–2.01), income category (USD 44.01–175.87) (AOR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.29–0.78), sixth year students (AOR: 8.71; 95% CI: 4.04–18.77) and health officer students (AOR: 2.36; 95% CI: 1.20–4.63) were found to be significantly associated with self-medication practice. CONCLUSION: More than half of the students practiced self-medication, which is moderately higher than other findings. Gender, income, year of study, and field of study were the major factors that affected self-medication. Therefore, interventions that can halt the high magnitude of self-medication and factors associated with it are crucial. Special attention should be given to students who stay in the university for longer years. Dove 2020-10-01 /pmc/articles/PMC7535137/ /pubmed/33061320 http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/PPA.S274634 Text en © 2020 Zeru et al. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/). By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms (https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php).
spellingShingle Original Research
Zeru, Nuhamin
Fetene, Destaw
Geberu, Demiss Mulatu
Melesse, Alemakef Wagnew
Atnafu, Asmamaw
Self-Medication Practice and Associated Factors Among University of Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences Students: A Cross-Sectional Study
title Self-Medication Practice and Associated Factors Among University of Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences Students: A Cross-Sectional Study
title_full Self-Medication Practice and Associated Factors Among University of Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences Students: A Cross-Sectional Study
title_fullStr Self-Medication Practice and Associated Factors Among University of Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences Students: A Cross-Sectional Study
title_full_unstemmed Self-Medication Practice and Associated Factors Among University of Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences Students: A Cross-Sectional Study
title_short Self-Medication Practice and Associated Factors Among University of Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences Students: A Cross-Sectional Study
title_sort self-medication practice and associated factors among university of gondar college of medicine and health sciences students: a cross-sectional study
topic Original Research
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7535137/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33061320
http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/PPA.S274634
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