Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35734338›Full record

ArticleThe Pan African medical journal2022

A comparative analysis of pattern and attitude towards self-medication among pharmacy and non-pharmacy students in University of Ghana.

Seth Kwabena Amponsah, Gifty Odamtten, Ismaila Adams, Irene Akwo Kretchy

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Pan African medical journal, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 20% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Article
  4. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Seth Kwabena AmponsahDepartment of Medical Pharmacology, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana.
Gifty OdamttenDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Ismaila AdamsDepartment of Medical Pharmacology, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana.
Irene Akwo KretchyDepartment of Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
University of Ghana · GH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: self-medication involves the use of medicines without the input of health professionals. Available studies are not entirely conclusive on self-medication among health science versus non-health science university students. The current study therefore sought to investigate relevant aspects of self-medication among pharmacy and non-pharmacy students. Methods: this quantitative cross-sectional research was conducted among undergraduate pharmacy and non-pharmacy students of the University of Ghana from October 1 Results: a total of 337 (163 pharmacy and 174 non-pharmacy) students filled and completed questionnaires. The prevalence of self-medication was 55.2% for pharmacy and 51.1% for non-pharmacy students. Both pharmacy and non-pharmacy students were either accepting or ambivalent towards self-medication. Painkillers were the major class of medications that were self-medicated by both pharmacy (38.5%) and non-pharmacy students (30.7%). The most common reason for self-medication among pharmacy (62.2%) and non-pharmacy (56.2%) students was the need for rapid relief from an illness. Majority of the participants who were self-medicated (27.6% among non-pharmacy and 36.8% among pharmacy students) demonstrated ambivalent attitude towards self-medication. An increase in the study level reduced the likelihood of self-medication in both pharmacy and non-pharmacy students: OR=0.442, CI = 0.266-0.736 for pharmacy students and OR=0.671, CI = 0.456-0.987 for non-pharmacy students. Conclusion: self-medication is common students of the University of Ghana. Prevalence of self-medication was higher among pharmacy students than non-pharmacy students. This study provides data for targeted education and sensitisation of self-medication among university students.

Indexed as

PharmacyStudents, PharmacyCross-Sectional StudiesHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHumansSelf MedicationSurveys and QuestionnairesUniversitiescollege studentsGhananon-pharmacyPharmacyself-medication

Identifiers

PMID35734338
PMCPMC9188003
OpenAlexW4285744524

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.