Idowu E A, Afolabi A O, Fakuade B O, Akintububo O B, Ibiyemi O
Faculty of Dentistry, University of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria.
Department of Dental Services, Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria.
Ann Ib Postgrad Med. 2019 Dec;17(2):173-180.
Self-medication is widely practiced worldwide. Literatures abound on its use for medical ailments but there is paucity of information for dental complaints especially in Northeastern Nigeria. Hence, this study was designed to determine the prevalence of self-medication for dental problems before dental consultation and its associated factors among patients attending Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Dental and Maxillofacial Outpatient Clinic, Gombe, Gombe State, Nigeria.
A descriptive cross-sectional study based on a structured pretested close-ended interviewer-administered questionnaire was distributed among adults visiting FTH outpatient dental clinic, Gombe, Nigeria for a period of 8 months. The questionnaire was composed of two main sections: demographic characteristics and questions assessing the behaviour of self-medication. The non-probability convenient sampling technique was used and data was stored and analysed using IBM-Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0.
The results showed that the prevalence of self-medication was found to be 41.5% (194/468), with a higher prevalence among females (55.1% or 107/194) than males (44.9% or 87/194). The majority (52% or101/194) of the patients were in the 2-4 decades of life. Educational status was significantly associated with self-medication. Analgesics accounted for the greatest percentage (98/164 or 59.8%) of orthodox drugs used followed by antibiotics (62/164 or 37.8%). However, with respect to individual medication consumed, paracetamol accounted for the majority (28.7%). A greater number (55/194 or 28.4%) could not remember the name of the orthodox drugs they took before consultations. Street hawkers were the main source of these medicaments (36.6 or 71/194%). Fear of dental treatment (20.1% 39/194), ailment is simple and the need not to see a dentist (20.1% 39/194) were claimed to be the main reason for practicing self-medication with periodontitis (53.1% or 103/194), pulpitis (13.9% or 27/194) and pericoronitis (10.8% or 21/194) the main predictors.
The prevalence of self-medications to dental problems in this study was discovered to be high with the use of both orthodox and unidentified traditional drugs. National Health Insurance Scheme should be made to cover all social group of Nigerians in order to encourage easy accessibilities of all people to wide range of medical and dental consultations, thereby discouraging the practice of self-medication.
自我药疗在全球范围内广泛存在。关于其用于治疗各种疾病的文献众多，但针对牙科问题的相关信息却很匮乏，尤其是在尼日利亚东北部地区。因此，本研究旨在确定在尼日利亚贡贝州贡贝市联邦教学医院牙科和颌面外科门诊就诊的患者中，牙科咨询前自我药疗治疗牙齿问题的患病率及其相关因素。
本研究采用描述性横断面研究方法，基于一份经过预测试的结构化封闭式访谈问卷，对在尼日利亚贡贝市联邦教学医院牙科门诊就诊的成年人进行了为期8个月的调查。问卷由两个主要部分组成：人口统计学特征和评估自我药疗行为的问题。采用非概率方便抽样技术，数据使用IBM社会科学统计软件包（SPSS）23.0版本进行存储和分析。
结果显示，自我药疗的患病率为41.5%（194/468），女性患病率（55.1%或107/194）高于男性（44.9%或87/194）。大多数（52%或101/194）患者年龄在20至40岁之间。教育程度与自我药疗显著相关。在使用的正统药物中，镇痛药占比最大（98/164或59.8%），其次是抗生素（62/164或37.8%）。然而，就个人服用的药物而言，对乙酰氨基酚占多数（28.7%）。更多（55/194或28.4%）患者记不起咨询前服用的正统药物名称。街头小贩是这些药物的主要来源（36.6%或71/194）。害怕牙科治疗（20.1%或39/194）、病情简单且无需看牙医（20.1%或39/194）被认为是自我药疗的主要原因，其中牙周炎（53.1%或103/194）、牙髓炎（13.9%或27/194）和冠周炎（10.8%或21/194）是主要预测因素。
本研究发现，使用正统药物和不明传统药物进行牙齿问题自我药疗的患病率很高。应使国家健康保险计划覆盖尼日利亚所有社会群体，以鼓励所有人都能方便地获得广泛的医疗和牙科咨询服务，从而抑制自我药疗行为。
