摘要
Introduction: The practice of auto-medication is on the rise in most sub-Saharan countries. The effects of these may be associated with increased drug resistance in the future, complication of the course of a disease, adverse drug interactions etc. Auto-medication is of course a global public health concern, which requires appropriate attention to evade future undesirable effects. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge, prevalence and associated determinants of auto-medication in the Limbe municipality. Method: This was a community-based cross-sectional study, conducted among 284 enrolled participants in Limbe Health District between January to August 2021. A structured questionnaire-based interview was used to collect data from each study subject. Then, data were categorised and analysed using SPSS version 20 software. Results: Majority of 213 (75%) of the participants practised auto-medication. The most frequently reported auto-medication symptoms were fever and headache 202 (71.1%). 95 (15.6%) practised auto-medication because they believed it saved time, meanwhile 5 (0.8%) had the belief that health personnel are too busy in the hospital with lots of patients to serve. Concerning knowledge, 68.9%, 13.1% and 18.2% had grading as Good, Poor and uncertain respectively. 58.3% of participants had a positive attitude towards auto-medication while 12.7% were indifferent. Factors associated with the use of auto-medication included: Age (p Conclusion: The prevalence of auto-medication remains increasingly high;there is a need for community sensitization to avert the negatives of such practices. The knowledge on auto-medication is fairly above average.
Introduction: The practice of auto-medication is on the rise in most sub-Saharan countries. The effects of these may be associated with increased drug resistance in the future, complication of the course of a disease, adverse drug interactions etc. Auto-medication is of course a global public health concern, which requires appropriate attention to evade future undesirable effects. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge, prevalence and associated determinants of auto-medication in the Limbe municipality. Method: This was a community-based cross-sectional study, conducted among 284 enrolled participants in Limbe Health District between January to August 2021. A structured questionnaire-based interview was used to collect data from each study subject. Then, data were categorised and analysed using SPSS version 20 software. Results: Majority of 213 (75%) of the participants practised auto-medication. The most frequently reported auto-medication symptoms were fever and headache 202 (71.1%). 95 (15.6%) practised auto-medication because they believed it saved time, meanwhile 5 (0.8%) had the belief that health personnel are too busy in the hospital with lots of patients to serve. Concerning knowledge, 68.9%, 13.1% and 18.2% had grading as Good, Poor and uncertain respectively. 58.3% of participants had a positive attitude towards auto-medication while 12.7% were indifferent. Factors associated with the use of auto-medication included: Age (p Conclusion: The prevalence of auto-medication remains increasingly high;there is a need for community sensitization to avert the negatives of such practices. The knowledge on auto-medication is fairly above average.
作者
Tanyi Pride Bobga
Amambua Christian Tayiwoh
Tambobe Bernard Tabah
Ngwa Fabrice Ambe
Agu Felix Eyong
Dinayen Dieudonne Yusinyu
Ebai Clinton Tiku
Ndaka Walters Thabe
Derick Ngwa Awambeng
Tanyi Pride Bobga;Amambua Christian Tayiwoh;Tambobe Bernard Tabah;Ngwa Fabrice Ambe;Agu Felix Eyong;Dinayen Dieudonne Yusinyu;Ebai Clinton Tiku;Ndaka Walters Thabe;Derick Ngwa Awambeng(Model Preparatory Initiative of Academics, Research and Health (MOPIARH), Buea, Cameroon;Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon;Pilem Medical Diagnostic Limited, Bafoussam, Cameroon;Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon;Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon;Department of Health, St Louis Higher Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Buea, Cameroon;Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon)
