Self-Medication Practice and Associated Factors among Residents in Wuhan, China

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health 2018-01, Vol.15 (1), p.68
• Main Authors: Lei, Xiaosheng, Jiang, Heng, Liu, Chaojie, Ferrier, Adamm, Mugavin, Janette
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activities of daily living; Adolescent; Adult; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; Cardiovascular diseases; China - epidemiology; Correlation analysis; Cough; Drug self-administration; Drug stores; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions - epidemiology; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions - etiology; Drugs; Education; Female; Health care policy; Health insurance; Health risks; Health services; Humans; Illnesses; Insurance coverage; Logistic Models; Male; Middle Aged; Nonprescription Drugs - adverse effects; Public health; Self Medication - adverse effects; Self Medication - statistics & numerical data; Self-medication; Students; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15010068

This study aims to examine the prevalence and predictors associated with self-medication, and related consequences in Wuhan, China. Two-hundred-sixty residents were interviewed from randomly selected four districts of Wuhan, China. A modified version of Anderson's health behavioral model was used in the survey to collect information of self-medication behavior. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to measure correlates of the prevalence of self-medication. Nearly half of the respondents would select self-medication, and 39.1% would see a doctor if they felt sick. The most common self-medicated illnesses were cold and cough, cardiovascular disease and gastrointestinal disease. The main reasons for self-medication were that the illness was not severe (enough) to see the doctor (45%); the patient did not think that the trouble of seeing a doctor was worth the effort (23%); the patient had no time to see the doctor (12%), and the patient did not want to pay high medical costs (15%). Logistic regression results suggested that respondents tended to select self-medication if the illness was minor or short-term (less than seven days). Our findings suggest that more strict regulation on over-the-counter medicines may be required to reduce health risks related to self-medication. Targeted health education on the risks of self-medication should be considered.