Original scientific paper
The Effect of Demographic Characteristics on Self-Medication Patterns: A Cross-Sectional Nationwide Study from Slovenia
Zalika Klemenc-Ketiš
Janko Kersnik
Abstract
Self-medication is defined as the use of medicines without medical supervision to treat one’s own ailment. It is a part
of a help-seeking behaviour that depends on socio-cultural and personal factors, which is why people react to the illness
differently and also take different measures to cope with it. The aim of this study was to explore the Slovenian citizens’
attitudes towards self-medication. The study included a random sample of 1,000 Slovenian inhabitants, stratified to all
Slovenian regions. This was a postal survey. Participants were mailed a self-administered questionnaire about attitudes
towards self-treatment. In the statistical analysis we used independent t-test and c
2-test. We received 410 responses (41.0%
response rate). In the past year, 389 (94.9%) respondents practiced self-medication. Most respondents (209, 52.1%) supported
and used it in everyday life. The majority of the respondents (274, 77.2%) practiced self-medication when symptoms
emerged. When symptoms lasted for one week or less, 210 (56.5%) of the respondents practising self-medication visited
their doctor. The respondents agreed mostly with the statement that their doctor had a positive relationship towards
self-medication. Younger people were more confident about the absolute safety of self-medication whereas older people
were more certain that they could practice it no matter what disease they might have. As self-medication is very common
among Slovenian population and various demographic factors affect the opinions about it and the reasons for its use and
also a doctor-patients communication about it, it is important that doctors, especially those in primary health care settings
always ask about its use. This is of a particular importance when dealing with older and retired patients, which are
more likely to suffer from more chronic diseases and use alternative medicine, which is a common part of self-medication.
Also, it is important to educate young people about possible unsafe practice of self-medication.
Keywords
self-medication; attitude; public health; population; cross-sectional study
Hrčak ID:
75647
URI
Publication date:
30.12.2011.
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