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ABSTRACT
| Title |
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Prevalence and predictors of selfmedication with antibiotics among Adi-haqi Campus students of Mekelle University, Ethiopia |
| Authors |
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Tadele Eticha, Haylay Araya, Adissu Alemayehu, Gebremedhin Solomon, Dagim Ali |
| Keywords |
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Antibiotics; Self-medication; University Students |
| Issue Date |
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October 2014 |
| Abstract |
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Background: Self-medication with antibiotics is one form of antibiotic misuse which enhances the development of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance is a worldwide public health problem which leads to treatment failures causing deaths and an increase in health care costs. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of antibiotic self-medication among students of Adi-haqi Campus of Mekelle University (ACMU) in Mekelle, Ethiopia.
Materials and methods: Across-sectional study was conducted among regular undergraduate students of ACMU in April 2014. The respondents were selected by stratified random sampling techniques. Data were collected with the help of a structured questionnaire and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 20.0 software.
Results: Of 407 study participants, 44.5% had self-medicated with antibiotics in their lifetime while 27.5% had practiced within the last three months. Using multiple logistic regression models, religion and prior residence of the respondents were significantly associated with antibiotic self-medication. Students who came from rural areas were less likely to self-treat with antibiotics than those who came from urban areas (AOR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.32-0.86). Community pharmacies were the major source of antibiotics for self-medication and the most widely used one was amoxicillin. Antibiotics were used usually to treat common cold and/or headache, cough, abdominal pain and fever. Such practices were based on the common reasons of previous successful experience, mildness of the illness and saving time, and major sources of information were prior experience, community pharmacists and leaflets.
Conclusion: Self-medication with antibiotics was common among the study population. Community pharmacists should practice within the expected framework of their profession and sell over-the-counter drugs alone for self-medication purposes. The reinforcement of antibiotic policies needs to be monitored together with the development of more comprehensive measures to promote the rational use of antibiotics. |
| Page(s) |
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678-684 |
| ISSN |
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0975-9492 |
| Source |
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Vol. 5, No.10 |
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