Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Self-Medication Among Basic Science Undergraduate Medical Students in a Medical School in Western Nepal

摘要

Introduction: Studies have shown self-medication to be commonamong medical students. These studies are however, few inNepal. The present study assessed knowledge, attitude, andpractice of self-medication among second and fourth semesters’undergraduate medical students and studied differences inknowledge and attitude (if any) among different subgroups of therespondents.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conductedusing a questionnaire among basic science medical students ofManipal College of Medical Sciences, Nepal. Semester of study,gender, age, nationality, and the profession of their parents werenoted. Students’ knowledge and attitude about self-medicationwas studied by noting their degree of agreement with a set of 40statements using a Likert-type scale. The average scores andfrequency of occurrence of particular behaviors among differentcategories of respondents were compared using appropriatestatistical tests.Results: Two hundred and seventy-six of the 295 (93.6%) students participated. The mean (SD) knowledge, attitude, and totalscores were 74.54 (6.92), 67.18 (5.68), and 141.73 (10.76) withmaximum possible scores 100, 100 and 200, respectively. Therewas no significant difference in scores according to respondents’gender, age, and the profession of their parents. However, themean knowledge, attitude and total scores were significantlydifferent among students of different nationalities. Mean scoresof fourth semester students were significantly higher compared tosecond semester students. There were differences in knowledgeand total scores among students of different nationalities. Eightytwo percent of respondents had self-medicated during theone year period preceding the study; 149 respondents (54%)shared that previous experience with the medicine was one ofthe information sources for self-medication. Prevalence of selfmedication among respondents according to semester of study,gender, age, and profession of the parents was not significantlydifferent. The use of self-medication was more common amongSri Lankan respondents compared to Nepalese. Painkillers(73.2%), antipyretics (68.8%), and antimicrobials (56.2%) weremost commonly used for self-medication.Conclusion: Students’ knowledge and attitude about selfmedication is good. The prevalence of self-medication amongmedical students was high.