Self-Medication Practice and Associated Factors among Adults in Gorgan, North of Iran

Background and Purpose: Self-medication is an important concern in every part of the world. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and to investigate the associate factors of self-medication among adults in Gorgan, north of Iran.  Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among adults aged ۱۲ years and above who were residents in Gorgan city. The participants were selected using the multi-stage cluster sampling method. SPSS Software and Pearson's chi-squared test were used for data analysis. Results: A total of ۵۹۲ households with ۲۰۵۰ respondents were visited. The prevalence of self-medication was ۶۷.۹%. A larger number of females were self-medicating (۷۱.۳%) than males (۶۳.۵%). The majority of the respondents self-medicated because of the previous use experience (۵۹.۳%). The main indication for self-medication use was headache (۶۰.۸%).  Analgesics were the most commonly self-medicated by the respondents (۸۳.۹%). Also, ۸۸.۶% of the respondents prepared their drug from drugstores. Furthermore, there were significant differences between self-medication and demographics characteristics including gender, age group, marital status, occupation, education level and income (p<۰.۰۵). Conclusion: The prevalence of self-medication especially with analgesics is relatively high among adult city-dwellers in Gorgan. So, preventive measures, such as strengthening of the communities awareness on the side effects of self-medication practice and regulation of pharmacies are very important mechanisms to decrease the practice.

Keywords:

Self-medication , Adults , Prevalence , Iran , Gorgan