Dental Department, Nkwen Baptist Health Centre, Bamenda, Cameroon Department of Periodontics, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria.
Int Dent J. 2011 Aug;61(4):204-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1875-595X.2011.00058.x.
To assess the use of self medication in oral health problems in Cameroon.
This multi-regional cross-sectional survey was conducted in three towns; Bamenda, Yaounde and Buea over a 10 month period. The questionnaire elicited information on demography, oral problem for self medication, substance used for self medication, source of the substance, duration of self medication, reason for self medication, source of advice of the drugs or those products used, opinion about the substance, effect and duration.
The prevalence of self medication for oral health problems was 67.8% which was significantly associated with age, marital status and location. The most frequently self medicated oral health problem was toothache (54.7%). The majority (64.5%) of the respondents used pharmaceutical products while a minority (7.7%) used dangerous substances such as petrol and vinegar for self medication. Sources of substances of self medication included pharmacy (55.6%), road side vendors (26.1%), native healers (7.8%), mobile drug vendors in buses (5.3%), and others (5.3%). The choice of substances used for self medication was mostly guided by the advice from relatives.
The majority of the respondents self-medicated for oral health problems. Unmarried, urban residents, aged 21-30 years reported significantly increased self-medication for oral health problems. Evidently dangerous substances were utilised for self-medication in this study, necessitating awareness and other forms of intervention.
评估喀麦隆口腔健康问题中的自我用药情况。
本多区域横断面调查在三个月镇进行; 巴门达，雅温得和布埃亚在十个月的时间内进行。问卷收集了人口统计学信息，自我用药治疗的口腔问题，用于自我用药的物质，物质来源，自我用药的持续时间，自我用药的原因，药物或那些产品的建议来源，对物质的意见，效果和持续时间。
口腔健康问题自我用药的患病率为 67.8%，与年龄，婚姻状况和位置显著相关。最常自我治疗的口腔健康问题是牙痛（54.7%）。大多数（64.5%）受访者使用药品，而少数（7.7%）使用汽油和醋等危险物质进行自我治疗。自我用药的物质来源包括药房（55.6%），路边小贩（26.1%），本地治疗师（7.8%），公交车上的流动药品小贩（5.3%）和其他（5.3%）。自我用药物质的选择主要受亲戚建议的指导。
大多数受访者为口腔健康问题进行自我治疗。未婚，城市居民，年龄在 21-30 岁之间，报告口腔健康问题的自我用药显著增加。显然，本研究中使用了危险物质进行自我治疗，需要提高认识和采取其他形式的干预措施。
