School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao 999078, China.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Oct 22;19(21):13754. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192113754.
Self-medication has become a common phenomenon. Economic factors are important factors that affect the self-medication of residents. This study aimed to investigate the current status of self-medication behaviors in China and explored the related factors affecting considerations associated with medical insurance reimbursement or drug price in self-medication.
A national cross-sectional investigation was conducted among Chinese people over 18 years old under a multi-stage sampling method through a questionnaire, which includes demographic sociological characteristics, self-medication behaviors and scales. The Chi-square test was used to analyze whether the respondents consider medical insurance reimbursement or drug price as an important factor when purchasing over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Logistic regression was used to examine the associated factors of considering medical insurance reimbursement or drug price.
In total, 9256 respondents were included in this study; 37.52% of the respondents regarded drug prices as an important consideration, and 28.53% of the respondents attached great importance to medical insurance reimbursement. Elderly respondents who lived in the central region, had medical insurance, and had lower levels of health literacy were more likely to consider the medical insurance reimbursement, while respondents with high monthly family income as well as students were less likely to consider the same issue ( < 0.05). Respondents settled in the central and western regions, students, those without fixed occupations, those who suffered from chronic diseases, or those with lower health literacy were more likely to consider drug prices, while the respondents with bachelor degrees, urban population and high per capita monthly income were less likely to consider the drug prices ( < 0.05).
Self-medication behaviors with OTC drugs were prevalent in China, and consideration factors of medical insurance reimbursement or drug prices were related to socio-demographic characteristics and health literacy. There is a need to take measures to reduce the economic burden of self-medication, improve the health literacy of residents and strengthen public health education.
自我药疗已成为一种普遍现象。经济因素是影响居民自我药疗的重要因素。本研究旨在调查中国自我药疗行为的现状，并探讨影响考虑医疗保险报销或药品价格因素与自我药疗的相关因素。
采用多阶段抽样方法，对全国 18 岁以上人群进行了一项横断面调查，采用问卷收集人口统计学特征、自我药疗行为和量表等信息。采用卡方检验分析受访者在购买非处方药时是否将医疗保险报销或药品价格视为重要因素。采用 Logistic 回归分析考虑医疗保险报销或药品价格的相关因素。
共纳入 9256 名受访者；37.52%的受访者认为药品价格是一个重要的考虑因素，28.53%的受访者非常重视医疗保险报销。居住在中部地区、有医疗保险且健康素养水平较低的老年受访者更有可能考虑医疗保险报销，而月家庭收入较高和学生的受访者则不太可能考虑这一问题（<0.05）。居住在中部和西部地区、学生、无固定职业、患有慢性病或健康素养较低的受访者更有可能考虑药品价格，而拥有学士学位、城市人口和较高人均月收入的受访者则不太可能考虑药品价格（<0.05）。
中国的自我药疗行为很普遍，考虑医疗保险报销或药品价格的因素与社会人口学特征和健康素养有关。需要采取措施减轻自我药疗的经济负担，提高居民的健康素养，加强公共卫生教育。
