ArticlePharmacy practice
Assessment of health seeking behaviour and self-medication among general public in the state of Penang, Malaysia.
Article in Pharmacy practice. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
25 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 54 citations in OpenAlex.
- Long-term health effects of antipyretic drug use in the aging population: a systematic review.Journal of medicine and life · 2024Pooled it
- Gender differences in health-seeking behaviour: insights from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Evaluation of knowledge and attitude toward self-medication among general population in Omdurman City, Sudan: A descriptive community-based study.Journal of public health research · 2025Article
- How the General Public Navigates Health Misinformation on Social Media: Qualitative Study of Identification and Response Approaches.JMIR infodemiology · 2025Article
- Article
- A study to understand the health seeking behaviour pattern and healthcare utilisation of peri-urban people in Vadodara district, Gujarat.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2025Article
- A cross-sectional study on healthcare seeking behavior among Saudi women in Riyadh.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Factors associated with health seeking behaviours and practice of antibiotics self-medication among adults in Abakaliki Metropolis, Ebonyi State, Nigeria.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Optimizing stress ulcer prophylaxis practices and reducing associated costs in intensive care units: a non-randomized controlled study.Journal of pharmacy & pharmaceutical sciences : a publication of the Canadian Society for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Societe canadienne des sciences pharmaceutiques · 2025Article
- Factors influencing health-seeking behavior among Sudanese immigrants in Saudi Arabia.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Article
- Self-medication among pregnant women in comparison to the general population: a scoping review of the main characteristics.Revista brasileira de ginecologia e obstetricia : revista da Federacao Brasileira das Sociedades de Ginecologia e Obstetricia · 2024Article
- Health-Seeking Behavior and Its Associated Technology Use: Interview Study Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults.JMIR aging · 2023Article
- Prevalence and healthcare utilization in managing herpes zoster in primary care: a retrospective study in an Asian urban population.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- The Health-Seeking Behavior among Malaysian Adults in Urban and Rural Areas Who Reported Sickness: Findings from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Changing Health Beliefs about Breast Cancer Screening among Women in Multi-Ethnic Malaysia.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Comparison of Retrospective and Prospective Falls Reporting Among Community-Dwelling Older People: Findings From Two Cohort Studies.Frontiers in public health · 2021Article
- Evaluation of oral health care seeking behavior in rural population of central India.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2020Article
- Assessment of the oral health seeking behavior of patients with premalignant lesions.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2020Article
- Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Over-the-Counter Drugs Among Pharmacy and Medical Students: A Facility-Based Cross-Sectional Study.Integrated pharmacy research & practice · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPatients' behaviour in making decisions regarding health is currently changing from passive recipients to recipients who play an active role in taking action to control their health and taking self-care initiatives.
objectivesThis study was conducted to evaluate the health seeking behaviour among general public and its associated factors; and to evaluate the medicine taking behaviour in public and the practice of self-medication.
methodsA cross-sectional study was undertaken among general public in Penang Island, Malaysia. A convenience sampling of 888 participants successfully completed the survey. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed among the residents in the north east of Penang Island.
resultsThis study showed that most of the participants chose to consult the physician when they experience any health problems (66.7%), followed by self-medication (20.9%). The first action for consulting the physician was significantly predicted by Malay respondents and retired people (OR 3.05, 95% CI 1.04-8.89). The prevalence of self-medication was 54%. The practice of self-medication was significantly associated with Chinese participants, educated people, people with alone living status and people with more self-care orientation.
conclusionIncreasing the awareness of the public about the rational choice of getting medical assistance is a very important issue to control their health. A health education program is needed to increase the awareness about the use of medicines among the general public and to enable them to make the right decisions relating to health problems.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.