ArticleJournal of pharmaceutical policy and practice2022
Prevalence, pattern and predictors of self-medication for COVID-19 among residents in Umuahia, Abia State, Southeast Nigeria: policy and public health implications.
Article in Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- A systematic review of self-medication practice during the COVID-19 pandemic: implications for pharmacy practice in supporting public health measures.Frontiers in public health · 2023Pooled it
- Prevalence of self-medication during COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2022Pooled it
- Self-medication before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Türkiye: evidence from national health surveys.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Prescription-only medicine requests by clients: Insights from community pharmacies.Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy · 2026Article
- Prevalence and Determinants of Self‑Medication Among Adult Outpatients in a Rural Health Facility in Northern Uganda: A Cross‑Sectional Study.Patient preference and adherence · 2026Article
- Assessment of knowledge, attitudes and behaviors related to self-medication practices among the adult population during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Psychological Symptoms and Self-Medication Behavior among COVID-19 Recoverees.Iranian journal of psychiatry · 2025Article
- Prevalence of self-medication with vitamin or mineral supplements in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC nutrition · 2025Article
- Patterns of self-medication and intention to seek pharmacist guidance among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic in Macao: a cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Evaluation of Herbal Products and Dietary Supplements Use in Patients with Respiratory Diseases Applied to Tertiary Health Institution.Turkish journal of pharmaceutical sciences · 2024Article
- Prevalence, practice, determinants and adverse effects of self-medication among young people living in a suburban community of Ekiti, Nigeria: A community-based cross-sectional study.SAGE open medicine · 2024Article
- Assessing the Reasons and Adverse Effects of Self-Medication in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Sierra Leone. A Case Study of Moriba Town Section.Risk management and healthcare policy · 2024Article
- Prevalence and influencing factors of self-medication during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Arab region: a multinational cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2023Article
- Self-Medication Practices in Nigeria: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Nigerian medical journal : journal of the Nigeria Medical AssociationArticle
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9 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCOVID-19 has led to restrictions on movements and lockdown measures, which have resulted to higher utilization of over-the-counter drugs compared to prescription-only drugs. This study determined the prevalence, pattern and predictors of self-medication for COVID-19 prevention and treatment.
methodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted between October and November 2021 among the residents of Umuahia, Abia State. The respondents were selected using a snowball sampling technique, and a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on the variables via Google forms. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate analyses were done using IBM SPSS version 26. The level of significance was set at 5%.
resultsA total of 469 respondents participated in the survey. The overall prevalence of self-medication for COVID-19 prevention and treatment was 30.3% (95%CI: 26.7-34.1). The most commonly used medication was herbal products (43.7%). This was mainly self-prepared (41.5%). The major source of information for self-medication was from family members (39.4%). The majority of the respondents reported fear of isolation (76.3%), followed by fear of stigmatization (75.7%) as the triggers of self-medication. Older age (aOR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.11-3.13), lower educational status [No formal education (aOR = 3.78, 95% CI: 1.28-11.19)], [Primary education (aOR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.17-3.097)] and perception to cost (aOR = 2.29; 95CI: I.24-4.24) were the predictors of self-medication.
conclusionEvery one in three residents of Umuahia, Abia State, practiced self-medication for COVID-19 prevention and treatment. Some economic and socio-demographic factors were significantly associated with self-medication. We recommend intensifying public awareness campaigns on the risk of self-medication.
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