Self-medication practices in Khartoum State, Sudan

Autor: I B Eltayeb, Phillip A. Capps, Abdelmoneim Awad
Rok vydání: 2006
Předmět:
Zdroj: European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. 62:317-324
ISSN: 1432-1041
0031-6970
DOI: 10.1007/s00228-006-0107-1
Popis: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of self-medication with proprietary medicines and herbs in Khartoum State, Sudan, and to evaluate factors associated with self-medication.A pre-piloted questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 1,200 individuals, selected from all three cities of Khartoum State using a multistage stratified clustered sampling.The response rate was 83.3%. Medicines, including herbs, were used by 81.8% of the respondents without a medical consultation within 2 months prior to the study period. Proprietary medicines alone were used by 28.3% (CI: 25.6-31.2), herbs alone by 20.7% (CI: 18.3-23.4), while 32.8% (CI: 29.9-35.8) had used both. Self-medication with proprietary medicines was least common with the middle-aged (OR: 0.12; 0.09-0.17), the elderly (OR: 0.29; 0.20-0.42) and low level of education [illiterate (OR: 0.26, 0.18-0.37) and primary/intermediate school (OR: 0.07, 0.04-0.11)]. It was most associated with low (OR: 5.3; 3.8-7.4) and middle income (OR: 4.3; 3.1-5.9), but no gender difference was found (P0.05). Self-medication behaviour with herbs was most associated with middle-age (OR: 1.7; 1.3-2.2), female gender (OR: 2.2 (1.7-2.8) and lowest income earners (OR: 2.5; 1.9-3.5).The prevalence of self-medication with medicines including herbs in urban areas of Khartoum State is high. Self-medication behaviour varies significantly with a number of socio-economic characteristics. Our findings have major public health policy implications for countries like Sudan.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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