KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES OF SELF-MEDICATION AMONG MALE ARTISANS IN SABO, IBADAN

Abstract

Self-medication is a human behaviour that involves the use of medications to prevent, treat and cure self-diagnosed ailment without prior medical consultation or physician prescription. Individual’s busy schedule and complicated lifestyles made them shun waiting in hospitals to see physicians and result in self-medication. Male artisans have been reported to demonstrate poor health-seeking behaviours due to the nature of their job and the high demand for the services they render in society. However, there is insufficient information about male artisans’ knowledge and other antecedent factors relating to self-medication. Therefore, this study was, designed to investigate knowledge, attitude and practise of self-medication among male artisans in Sabo community, Ibadan North Local Government Area, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was adopted using a multi-stage sampling technique to select 216 respondents from the eight registered artisans group in Sabo community. A validated semi structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to elicit information on the respondent’s socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitude and practice of self-medication. The total knowledge score was 20 points. Knowledge scores of 0-9, 10-13 and > 14 were categorised as poor, fair and good respectively. The total attitudinal score was 12 points. Attitudinal scores of 0-7 and > 8 were categorised as negative and positive respectively. The total practice score was 20 points and scores <13 and >14 were categorised as irrational and rational practices, respectively. Data were processed into the computer with the aid of IBM/Statistical Package for Social Science (IBM/SPSS) software version 22. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square test with the level of significance set at p=0.05. Respondents’ age was 31.4±10.4 years, above half (59.7%) had completed secondary school education and 53.3% were married. The majority (65.7%), of the respondents, live with their family and 60.6% earned more than N18,000 as average monthly income. Majority (81.5%) of the respondents had heard about self-medication, radio was the major source of information for 30.5%. Less than half of the respondents, 49.1%, correctly defined self-medication and 70.8% identified chemist as the major source where drugs used for self-medication are acquired. Almost all (97.2%) attest to have practiced self-medication and 53.8% practice self-medication sometimes. Few (22.2%) respondents, had good knowledge the aim of enhancing the artisans’ knowledge about the danger inherent in the irrational use of drugs or self-medication.