Self-medication among health care workers in a tertiary hospital in Southern Nigeria: knowledge, attitude, and practices

  • Ekaete Alice Tobin Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State, Nigeria https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5059-807X
  • Jovita Erhazele Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria
  • Martha Okonofua Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State, Nigeria
  • Chinelo Nnadi Department of Community Medicine, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State, Nigeria
  • Eucharia Ezenwanyi Nmema Department of Biological Sciences, Ondo State University of Science and Technology, Ondo State, Nigeria https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5863-4725
  • George Odigie Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State, Nigeria
DOI: https://doi.org/10.13181/mji.oa.204223
Keywords: health care workers, prevalence, self-medication
Abstract viewed: 1280 times
PDF downloaded: 728 times
HTML downloaded: 83 times
EPUB downloaded: 275 times

Abstract

BACKGROUND Self-medication is linked to the inappropriate and irrational use of medicines. This study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practice of self-medication among health care workers (HCWs) in a tertiary hospital in Southern Nigeria.

METHODS In a cross-sectional study carried out between June 2018 and December 2018 at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Edo State, 206 consenting HCWs were interviewed using validated questionnaires on their knowledge (assessed as good, fair, and poor), attitude (positive and negative), and practice of self-medication. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 21 (IBM Corp., USA). Bivariate analysis was carried out using chi-square. Statistical significance was set as p<0.05.

RESULTS Prevalence of self-medication in the last 4 months was 89.3%, and significantly decreased with increasing age (p = 0.04) and holding a positive attitude toward self-medication (p<0.01). Knowledge of self-medication was fair for the majority 111 (53.9%). Most of the medications were used for headache (92.4%), fever (81.5%), diarrhea (75.0%), and respiratory infections (61.4%). Common drugs self-medicated included antimalarials (91.3%), analgesics (81.0%), and antibiotics (71.2%). 39 subjects (21.2%) self-medicated with tranquilizers. Familiarity with the treatment options was the main reason for self-medication for 60.9% of the respondents.

CONCLUSIONS Self-medication was prevalent among HCWs in the study area. Concerted efforts are needed to educate HCWs on responsible self-medication. On a broader scale, restrictions should be enforced on the sale of prescription drugs, such as antibiotics and sleeping pills, and drug dispensers should provide effective counseling before dispensing.

References

  1. Koinis A, Giannou V, Drantaki V, Angelaina S, Stratou E, Saridi M. The impact of health care workers job environment on their mental-emotional health. Coping strategies: the case of a local general hospital. Heal Psychol Res. 2015;3(1):1984. https://doi.org/10.4081/hpr.2015.1984

  2. Mehta RK, Sharma S. Knowledge, attitude and practice of selfmedication among medical students. IOSR J Nurs Health Sci. 2015;4(1):89-96. https://doi.org/10.9790/1959-04118996

  3. Tesfamariam S, Anand IS, Kaleab G, Berhane S, Woldai B, Habte E, et al. Self-medication with over the counter drugs, prevalence of risky practice and its associated factors in pharmacy outlets of Asmara, Eritrea. BMC Public Health. 2019;19(1):159. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-6470-5

  4. Eticha T, Mesfin K. Self-medication practices in Mekelle, Ethiopia. PLoS One. 2014;9(5):e97464. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0097464

  5. Ali AN, Kai JT, Keat CC, Dhanaraj SA. Self-medication practices among health care professionals in a Private University, Malaysia. Int Curr Pharm J. 2012;1(10):302-10. https://doi.org/10.3329/icpj.v1i10.11846

  6. Galvan MR, Pai DD, Echevarría-Guanilo ME. Self medication among health professionals. REME Rev Min Enferm. 2016;20:e959. https://doi.org/10.5935/1415-2762.20160029

  7. Sado E, Kassahun E, Bayisa G, Gebre M, Tadesse A, Mosisa B. Epidemiology of self-medication with modern medicines among health care professionals in Nekemte Town, Western Ethiopia. BMC Res Notes. 2017;10:533. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-017-2865-5

  8. Sajith M, Sureh SM, Roy NT, Pawar A. Self-medication practices among health care professional students in a tertiary care hospital, Pune. The Open Public Health Journal. 2017;10:63-8. https://doi.org/10.2174/1874944501710010063

  9. Babatunde OA, Fadare JO, Ojo OJ, Durowade KA, Atoyebi OA, Ajayi PO, et al. Self-medication among HCWs in a tertiary institution in South-West Nigeria. Pan Afr Med J. 2016;24:312.

  10. Fekadu G, Dugassa D, Negera GZ, Woyessa TB, Turi E, Tolossa T, et al. Self-medication practices and associated factors among health-care professionals in selected hospitals of Western Ethiopia. Patient Prefer Adherence. 2020;14:353-61. https://doi.org/10.2147/PPA.S244163

  11. Azodo CC, Ehigiator O, Ehigiator L, Ehizele A, Ezeja E, Madukwe I. Self-medication practices among dental, midwifery and nursing students. Eur J Gen Dent. 2013;2(1):54. https://doi.org/10.4103/2278-9626.106813

  12. Fadare J, Desalu O. Self-prescription practices by Nigerian medical doctors. South African Fam Pract. 2014;56(5):253-7. https://doi.org/10.1080/20786190.2014.980155

  13. Pourhoseingholi MA, Vahedi M, Rahimzadeh M. Sample size calculation in medical studies. Gastroenterol Hepatol Bed Bench. 2013;6(1):14-7.

  14. Jember E, Feleke A, Debie A, Asrade G. Self-medication practices and associated factors among households at Gondar Town, Northwest Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study. BMC Res Notes. 2019;12:153. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-019-4195-2

  15. Hanumaiah V, Manjunath H. Study of knowledge, attitude and practice of self medication among health care workers at MC Gann Teaching District Hospital of Shivamogga, India. Int J Basic Clin Pharmacol. 2018;7(6):1174-81. https://doi.org/10.18203/2319-2003.ijbcp20182102

  16. Dilie A, Gualu T, Haile D, Zuleta FA. Knowledge, attitude and practice of self-medication among health science students at Debre Markos University, Northwest Ethiopia. J Public Heal Epidemiol. 2017;9(5):106-13. https://doi.org/10.5897/JPHE2017.0926

  17. Hertz JT, Madut DB, Tesha RA, William G, Simmons RA, Galson SW, et al. Self-medication with non-prescribed pharmaceutical agents in an area of low malaria transmission in Northern Tanzania: a community-based survey. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2019;113(4):183-8. https://doi.org/10.1093/trstmh/try138

  18. Moise K, Bernard JJ, Henrys JH. Evaluation of Antibiotic selfmedication among outpatients of the State University Hospital of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti: a cross-sectional study. Pan Afr Med J. 2017;28:4. https://doi.org/10.11604/pamj.2017.28.4.12589

  19. Shafie M, Eyasu M, Muzeyin K, Worku Y, Martín-Aragón S. Prevalence and determinants of self-medication practice among selected households in Addis Ababa community. PLoS One. 2018;13(3):e0194122. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0194122

  20. Sridhar SB, Shariff A, Dallah L, Anas D, Ayman M, Rao PG. Assessment of nature, reasons, and consequences of selfmedication practice among general population of Ras Al- Khaimah, UAE. Int J Appl Basic Med Res. 2018;8(1):3-8. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijabmr.IJABMR_46_17

  21. Osemene K, Lamikanra A. A study of the prevalence of selfmedication practice among University Students in Southwestern Nigeria. Trop J Pharm Res. 2012;11(4):683-9. https://doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v11i4.21

  22. Simegn W, Dagnew B, Dagne H. Self-medication practice and associated factors among health professionals at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital: a cross-sectional study. Infec Drug Resis. 2020;13:2539-40. https://doi.org/10.2147/IDR.S257667

Published
2020-12-30
How to Cite
1.
Tobin EA, Erhazele J, Okonofua M, Nnadi C, Nmema EE, Odigie G. Self-medication among health care workers in a tertiary hospital in Southern Nigeria: knowledge, attitude, and practices. Med J Indones [Internet]. 2020Dec.30 [cited 2024Apr.20];29(4):403-9. Available from: http://mji.ui.ac.id/journal/index.php/mji/article/view/4223
Issue
Vol. 29 No. 4 (2020): December
Section
Community Research

Copyright (c) 2020 Ekaete Alice Tobin, Jovita Erhazele, Martha Okonofua, Chinelo Nnadi, Eucharia Ezenwanyi Nmema, George Odigie

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with Medical Journal of Indonesia agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant Medical Journal of Indonesia right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License that allows others to remix, adapt, build upon the work non-commercially with an acknowledgment of the work’s authorship and initial publication in Medical Journal of Indonesia.
  2. Authors are permitted to copy and redistribute the journal's published version of the work non-commercially (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in Medical Journal of Indonesia.