TY - JOUR
T1 - Self-medication practices of pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in northern ghana
T2 - An analytical cross-sectional study
AU - Adama, Sina
AU - Wallace, Lauren J.
AU - Arthur, Joshua
AU - Kwakye, Sandra
AU - Adongo, Philip B.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, Women's Health and Action Research Centre. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/8
Y1 - 2021/8
N2 - In Ghana, despite the dangers that self-medication poses to maternal and fetal health, there has been limited examination of self-medication among pregnant women. This study examines the practice of self-medication among pregnant women in Wa Municipality, Ghana. An analytical cross-sectional survey of 367 pregnant women was conducted in three health facilities. The prevalence of self-medication practice was 74.1%. The majority (68.4%) of pregnant women obtained unprescribed medicines from chemical shops; others utilized leftover drugs from previous hospital visits (15.8%) or herbal medications (9.9%), while others took unprescribed drugs from relatives or friends (5.9%). Analgesics (76.1%), antibiotics (24.6%), and antimalarials (16.2%) were the most frequently self-medicated drugs. The most common illnesses or symptoms for which pregnant women self-medicated were headaches (34.2%), back pain (33.1%), waist pain (32.7%), lower abdominal pain (20.6%), and malaria (16.2%). After adjusting for potential confounders, easy access to medication without prescription (AOR= 8.4), illness perceived as minor (AOR=4.1), availability of health facilities (AOR=4.2), and frequent lack of medicines at health facilities (AOR=1.7) were significantly associated with self-medication. Enforcing legislation to prevent the stocking and sale of certain analgesics and antibiotics, increasing service points, and improving service quality at antenatal clinics, outpatient departments and pharmacies could reduce self-medication. (Afr J Reprod Health 2021; 25[4]: 89-98).
AB - In Ghana, despite the dangers that self-medication poses to maternal and fetal health, there has been limited examination of self-medication among pregnant women. This study examines the practice of self-medication among pregnant women in Wa Municipality, Ghana. An analytical cross-sectional survey of 367 pregnant women was conducted in three health facilities. The prevalence of self-medication practice was 74.1%. The majority (68.4%) of pregnant women obtained unprescribed medicines from chemical shops; others utilized leftover drugs from previous hospital visits (15.8%) or herbal medications (9.9%), while others took unprescribed drugs from relatives or friends (5.9%). Analgesics (76.1%), antibiotics (24.6%), and antimalarials (16.2%) were the most frequently self-medicated drugs. The most common illnesses or symptoms for which pregnant women self-medicated were headaches (34.2%), back pain (33.1%), waist pain (32.7%), lower abdominal pain (20.6%), and malaria (16.2%). After adjusting for potential confounders, easy access to medication without prescription (AOR= 8.4), illness perceived as minor (AOR=4.1), availability of health facilities (AOR=4.2), and frequent lack of medicines at health facilities (AOR=1.7) were significantly associated with self-medication. Enforcing legislation to prevent the stocking and sale of certain analgesics and antibiotics, increasing service points, and improving service quality at antenatal clinics, outpatient departments and pharmacies could reduce self-medication. (Afr J Reprod Health 2021; 25[4]: 89-98).
KW - Analgesics
KW - Antenatal clinic
KW - Antibiotics
KW - Ghana
KW - Pregnancy
KW - Self-medication
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85117769549&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.29063/ajrh2021/v25i4.10
DO - 10.29063/ajrh2021/v25i4.10
M3 - Article
C2 - 37585796
AN - SCOPUS:85117769549
SN - 1118-4841
VL - 25
SP - 89
EP - 98
JO - African journal of reproductive health
JF - African journal of reproductive health
IS - 4
ER -