Bisika Thomas, Courtright Paul, Geneau Robert, Kasote Anthony, Chimombo Lucy, Chirambo Moses
University of Pretoria, School of Health Systems and Public Health.
Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. 2008 Oct 25;6(1):23-9. doi: 10.4314/ajtcam.v6i1.57070.
Self-treatment for eye diseases is very common in most developing countries yet there has been little investigation of such attitudes and practices. In many settings, people do not proceed beyond self-treatment and do not receive care from either traditional healers or Western eye care providers. Visual impairment and blindness can be the result. We conducted population-based survey of use of eye care services and self-treatment in two districts of Malawi. Adults were administered a detailed interview regarding their use of eye care services (Western and traditional as well as self-treatment) and their knowledge and use of traditional eye medicines. Self-treatment was defined as use of either Western or traditional medicines by the individual for their most recent eye condition. Only eye conditions that were considered severe by the study subjects were correlated with treatment options. Interviews were carried out among 800 adults in the study areas. Self-treatment was reported for the last episode of eye disease by 39.8% of the study population. Factors associated with self-treatment included sex, religion and socioeconomic status. Even though 76.8% of the respondents reported treatment from the health center or hospital to be the least expensive option, many opted for self-treatment first. Among those opting for self-treatment 72% used traditional eye medicines. Even among cases that individuals considered to be quite severe (these included cataract, trachoma and conjunctivitis), self-treatment was the option of choice in 22.2% of cases.
在大多数发展中国家，眼部疾病的自我治疗非常普遍，但对这种态度和做法的调查却很少。在许多情况下，人们仅进行自我治疗，既不寻求传统治疗师的帮助，也不找西方眼科护理人员。这可能会导致视力受损甚至失明。我们在马拉维的两个地区开展了一项基于人群的眼部护理服务使用情况及自我治疗的调查。研究人员对成年人进行了详细访谈，询问他们使用眼部护理服务（包括西方和传统方式以及自我治疗）的情况，以及他们对传统眼药的了解和使用情况。自我治疗的定义为个人针对其最近的眼部疾病使用西方或传统药物。只有被研究对象认为病情严重的眼部疾病才与治疗选择相关。研究人员在研究区域的800名成年人中进行了访谈。39.8%的研究人群报告称在最近一次眼部疾病发作时进行了自我治疗。与自我治疗相关的因素包括性别、宗教和社会经济地位。尽管76.8%的受访者表示到健康中心或医院治疗是最便宜的选择，但许多人还是首先选择自我治疗。在选择自我治疗的人群中，72%使用了传统眼药。即使在个人认为病情相当严重的病例（包括白内障、沙眼和结膜炎）中，22.2%的病例首选自我治疗。
