KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE OF SELF-MEDICATION AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN IBADAN NORTH-WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA
Abstract
Previous researches conducted in Nigeria identified a high prevalence of self-medication among adolescents and younger-aged people compared to the older ones. Knowledge had been identified to be a cogent factor in practicing self-medication, however, the effect of knowledge on attitude and practice of self-medication had not been well documented. This study therefore explored the knowledge, attitude and practice of self-medication among senior secondary school students in Ibadan North-West Local Government Area, (LGA) Oyo State, Nigeria.
This study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey. A five stage sampling technique was employed in selecting 435 students attending 7 public and private secondary schools. A semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on the socio demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitude, practice and factors influencing self-medication. Knowledge was scored on a 9-point scale; scores of <3, 4 – 6 and >6 were classified as poor, fair and good knowledge respectively. Attitude was scored on a 9-point scale; scores of <4 and >4 were rated as good and poor attitude respectively. Practice was also scored on a 6-point scale; scores of 0, 1 – 6 were categorized as non- practicing and practicing respectively. The quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test at p=0.05 were used.
Respondent’s mean age was 15.33±1.51 years. More than half (53.7%) of the respondents were female while many (67.8%) of the respondents were within the ages of 14 and 16 years. Over two-third (69.7%) were Christians while more than three-quarter (75.7%) were Yoruba. Majority (92.1%) of the respondents had knowledge score of <3, that is, poor knowledge. Only 9% had score of 4-6, that is, fair knowledge while none had knowledge score of 6-9, that is, none had good knowledge of self-medication. Most (90.2%) of the respondents had attitude score of 5-9, that is, poor attitude (they reported self-medication was not appropriate) while only 9.8% fell in the score range of 1-4 which is good attitude towards self-medication. More than three-quarter of the respondents (88.5%) practiced self-medication, that is, they had practice scores of 1-6 while only 11.5% did not practice self-medication. Most of the respondents reported ‘non-
severity of the illness’, ‘lack of clinics in schools’, ‘recommendation from parents or guardians’, ‘previous experience about a particular illness’, and ‘effectiveness of medication when used’ as factors influencing their self-medication practices.
This study showed that although knowledge was poor, respondents still perceived that self-medication was not appropriate. The prevalence of self-medication was very high while the social environment greatly influenced their self-medication practices. Strategies such as Health education (using group dialogue, peer educators, counseling and lectures to educate the students, parents and school administrators about self-medication) and Advocacy (to facilitate policy formation relating to regulation of medication sales, incorporating sick-bays in schools and introducing knowledge of self-medication into the secondary school curriculum) would be appropriate strategies to reduce self-medication practices.
Subject
Self-medicationSelf-medication practices
Attitude, self-medication
Senior Secondary School students
Self-medication, prevalence
Ibadan, Nigeria
Description
A Project submitted to the Department of Health Promotion and Education, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Master of Public Health (Health Promotion and Education) of the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
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- Faculty of Public Health [443]
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