A comparative study on prevalence and pattern of self-medication in urban and rural population in Palakkad District, Kerala

S Dev, Sahya; C B, Pradeesh; Jojo Philip, Anish; Reshmi, K; V, Siju

doi:10.61186/rabms.10.4.380

Volume 10, Issue 4 (11-2024) Journal of Research in Applied and Basic Medical Sciences 2024, 10(4): 380-388 | Back to browse issues page

‎ 10.61186/rabms.10.4.380

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S Dev S, C B P, Jojo Philip A, Reshmi K, V S. A comparative study on prevalence and pattern of self-medication in urban and rural population in Palakkad District, Kerala. Journal of Research in Applied and Basic Medical Sciences 2024; 10 (4) :380-388
URL: http://ijrabms.umsu.ac.ir/article-1-327-en.html

A comparative study on prevalence and pattern of self-medication in urban and rural population in Palakkad District, Kerala

Sahya S Dev ^*

, Pradeesh C B

, Anish Jojo Philip

, K Reshmi

, Siju V

Public Health Consultant Sobha health care, vadakkencherry, Palakkad, India , sahyasdev121@gmail.com

Abstract: (615 Views)

Background & Aims: Self-medication refers to the consumption of medicines to treat self-diagnosed disorders without consulting a medical practitioner. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence and pattern of self-medication using modern medicines in selected rural and urban areas of the Palakkad district.
Materials &Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Ottapalam Municipality and Vaniyamkulam Panchayat of Palakkad district, Kerala, India. Study participants were selected through a multi-stage sampling method. Data were cleaned, coded, and entered into Excel before being exported to the SPSS version 26 for analysis. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies, proportions, and summary statistics, were calculated to examine the distribution of independent variables. Chi-square tests were performed to assess associations between demographic factors and self-medication practices.
Results: A total of 131 participants were included in the study. The overall prevalence of self-medication was 67.2% (n=88), while 32.8% (n=43) did not practice self-medication. Among those who self-medicated, 88.6% (n=78) cited previous experience as the deciding factor for their self-medication practices.
Conclusion: This study revealed a high prevalence of self-medication in the studied population, with previous experience being a major influencing factor. These findings highlight the need for targeted educational interventions and stricter regulation of over-the-counter medications. Future research should explore the potential risks associated with self-medication practices and develop strategies to promote responsible medication use in this region.

Keywords: Cross-sectional, Healthcare professionals, Rural, Self-medication, Urban

Full-Text [PDF 398 kb] (182 Downloads)

Type of Study: orginal article | Subject: General

References

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3. World self-medication industry: Responsible self-care and self-medication. A world-wide review of consumer's survey. Ferney-Voltaire, France.at http: //www.abimip.org.br/uploads/materia [URL]

4. Balamurugan E, Ganesh K. Prevalence and pattern of self-medication use in coastal regions of South India. British J of Medical Practitioners. 2011;4(3): a428https: //www.bjmp.org/content/prevalence-and-pattern-self-medication-use-coastal-regions-south-india [Google Scholar]

5. Gupta P, Bobhate P S, Shrivastava S R. Determinants of Self-Medication Practices in an Urban Slum Community. Asian J Pharm Clin 2011;4(3): 54pdfhttps: //innovareacademics.in/journal/ajpcr/Vol4Issue3/346.off [URL]

6. Kamat VR, Nichter M. Pharmacies, self-medicationand pharmaceutical marketing in Bombay, India.Soc Sci Med. 1998;47(6): 779-94.https: //pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9690824/ [DOI:10.1016/S0277-9536(98)00134-8] [PMID]

7. Murray MD, Callahan CM. Improving medicationuse for older adults: an integrated research agenda. Ann Intern Med. 2003;139: https: //pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12965970/ [DOI:10.7326/0003-4819-139-5_Part_2-200309021-00009] [PMID]

8. Choonara I, Gill A, Nunn A. Drug toxicity and surveillance in children. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1996: 42: 407-10.https: //pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8904610/ [DOI:10.1046/j.1365-2125.1996.04563.x] [PMID] [PMCID]

9. Hajira S, Jayan M, Hussain C. Prevalence of self-medication practices and its associated factors in rural Bengaluru. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2016;1481-6. http: //dx.doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20161615 [DOI:10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20161615]

10. Mamo S, Ayele Y, Dechasa M. Self-medication practices among community of Harar City and its surroundings, Eastern Ethiopia. J Pharm (Cairo) 2018; 2018: 1-6. http: //dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/2757108 [DOI:10.1155/2018/2757108] [PMID] [PMCID]

11. Roien R, Bhandari D, Hosseini SMR, Mosawi SH, Ataie MA, Ozaki A, et al. Prevalence and determinants of self-medication with antibiotics among general population in Afghanistan. Expert Rev. Anti. Infect. Ther 2022;20(2): 315-21. http: //dx.doi.org/10.1080/14787210.2021.1951229 [DOI:10.1080/14787210.2021.1951229] [PMID]

12. Limaye D, Limaye V, Fortwengel G, Krause G. Self-medication practices in urban and rural areas of western India: a cross sectional study. Int. J. Community Med. Public Health 2018;5(7): 2672. http: //dx.doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20182596 [DOI:10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20182596]

13. Kumar CA, Revannasiddaiah N. Assessment of self-medication patterns in a rural area of south India: a questionnaire based study. Int. J. Community Med. Public Health 2017;5(1): 354. http: //dx.doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20175812 [DOI:10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20175812]

14. Selvaraj K, Kumar SG, Ramalingam A. Prevalence of self-medication practices and its associated factors in Urban Puducherry, India. Perspect. Clin. Res 2014c;5(1): 32-6. http: //dx.doi.org/10.4103/2229-3485.124569 [DOI:10.4103/2229-3485.124569] [PMID] [PMCID]

15. Arrais PSD, Fernandes MEP, Pizzol T da SD, Ramos LR, Mengue SS, Luiza VL, et al. Prevalence of self-medication in Brazil and associated factors. Rev. Saude Publica 2016;50(suppl 2): 13s. http: //dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1518-8787.2016050006117 [DOI:10.1590/s1518-8787.2016050006117]

16. Figueiras A, Caamaño F, Gestal-Otero JJ. Sociodemographic factors related to self-medication in Spain. Eur. J. Epidemiol 2000;16(1): 19-26. http: //dx.doi.org/10.1023/a: 1007608702063 [DOI:10.1023/A:1007608702063] [PMID]