Abstract:

Self-medication is the treatment of common health problems with medicines without medical supervision. There is substantive literature on self-medication, however there has been limited focus on undergraduates. Hence, this study aimed to bridge gaps in information on awareness, knowledge and practice of self-medication among respondents. Using cross-sectional study design and stratified random sampling technique, 418 consenting respondents were recruited into this study. Quantitative data was collected using a semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire; analyzed using SPSS version 21 and summarized using proportions and Chi-square tests (p ≤5%). Mean age of respondents was 19.89+2.83 years, 52.4% were males while 47.6% were females. 97.8% had awareness about self-medication, 66.0% had good knowledge on harmful effects of self-medication while 76.8% practiced self-medication. Analgesics was the most common drug used among respondents. Age and sex were statistically significantly associated with respondents’ knowledge on harmful effects of self-medication (p<0.05). Sex was statistically significantly associated with their practice of self-medication (p=0.006). There was a cognitive dissonance between respondents’ knowledge and practice because though results showed that respondents had good knowledge, it did not translate into good practice. The university authorities need to develop intervention strategies to engender behavioral change which can potentially improve their practices towards self-medication.

Keywords: Awareness, Knowledge, Practice, Self-medication, Undergraduates.

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