Patient Preference and Adherence (Aug 2022)

Behavioural Response To Self-Medication Practice Before and During Covid-19 Pandemic in Western Uganda

  • Dare SS,
  • Eze ED,
  • Echoru I,
  • Usman IM,
  • Ssempijja F,
  • Bukenya EE,
  • Ssebuufu R

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 16
pp. 2247 – 2257

Abstract

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Samuel Sunday Dare,1 Ejike Daniel Eze,1 Isaac Echoru,1 Ibe Michael Usman,2 Fred Ssempijja,2 Edmund Eriya Bukenya,1 Robinson Ssebuufu3,4 1School of Medicine, Kabale University, Kabale, Uganda; 2Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Kampala International University Western Campus, Ishaka, Uganda; 3Faculty of Clinical Medicine and Dentistry, Kampala International University Teaching Hospital, Ishaka, Uganda; 4Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council, Kampala, UgandaCorrespondence: Samuel Sunday Dare, School of Medicine, Kabale University, P.O. Box 317, Kabale, Uganda, Tel +256757802099, Email [email protected]: Self-medication has become a serious public health problem posing great risks, especially with the increasing number of cases of COVID-19 disease globally and in Uganda. This may be partly because of the absence of a recognized treatment for the disease, however, the differing prevalence and nature from country to country may influence human behavioral responses.Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the behavioral response to self-medication practices during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown in comparison to the pre-COVID period in Western Uganda.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted from June to August 2020 in western Uganda using online Google forms and printed questionnaires to investigate the level of self-medication practice before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. This included 280 participants, aged 18 and above who consented to participate in the study. Participants were selected using a convenience sampling technique, and sampling was done by sending a structured online questionnaire via Google forms and printed questionnaires to participants who did not use the online Google forms.Results: Respondents that knew about self-medication were 97% of the 272 participants. Those that are aware of self-medication, have heard about it either through different avenues. Respondents who practiced self-medication before the COVID-19 pandemic were 239 (88%); those who practiced self-medication during the COVID-19 pandemic were 156 (57%); those that did not were 115 (43%). There was a statistically significant decrease in the number of respondents who practice self-medication during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown compared to the practice before the pandemic lockdown. p < 0.05 at 95% confidence interval (OR = 5.39, 95% CI = 3.48, 8.32).Conclusion: Our investigation showed adequate knowledge of self-medication and a high level of self-medication practice with a decrease in self-medication practices during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown compared to the practice before the lockdown.Keywords: before and post COVID-19, self-medication practice, medication, behavioural response, knowledge

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