Institute for Global Health Innovations, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, Vietnam.
Faculty of Medicine, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, Vietnam.
Front Public Health. 2023 Jul 27;11:1176730. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1176730. eCollection 2023.
Self-medication is recognized as an effective form of treatment and is increasingly encouraged to treat minor illnesses. However, misuse of self-medication leaves devastating impacts on human health and causes antimicrobial resistance. Using medication without a prescription among farmers could cause more severe effects on their health than non-farm workers since they suffer from several occupational hazards such as excessive exposure to pesticides.
A cross-sectional study was conducted in 197 residents living in Moc Chau from August to September. A structured questionnaire and face-to-face were used to collecting data. The multivariate logistic model was applied to indicate associated factors with the self-medication.
The prevalence of self-medication among farmers was 67%. Pain relievers (66.7%) and antibiotics (32.5%) were the types of medicines that were the most commonly purchased and used without a medical prescription. Ethnics and health status also significantly affected the self-medication practice as well as the purchase and use of antibiotics. The distance to travel to a medical center and the dangerous or difficult travel, participants with arthritis or inpatient treatment had significantly associated with buying and using the medicine and antibiotics without the medical prescription of farmers.
Our research highlights a considerably high prevalence of self-medication among farmers residing in the mountainous area of Vietnam. Individual factors such as ethnics, health status, distance to health centers, and dangerous or difficult travel were found to be related to the SM practice as well as the purchase and use of antibiotics. From that, the current study suggests interventions. For instance, official guidelines are needed to raise awareness and minimize the disadvantages of self-medication; and digital health technologies should be applied to reduce the gap in healthcare service between mountainous and other areas of Vietnam.
自我药疗已被公认为一种有效的治疗形式，并越来越多地被鼓励用于治疗轻微疾病。然而，自我药疗的滥用对人类健康造成了毁灭性的影响，并导致了抗生素耐药性。农民在没有处方的情况下使用药物可能会对他们的健康造成比非农民工人更严重的影响，因为他们面临着多种职业危害，如过度接触农药。
2023 年 8 月至 9 月，在摩查 197 名居民中进行了一项横断面研究。采用结构式问卷和面对面访谈收集数据。应用多变量逻辑模型来表示与自我药疗相关的因素。
农民自我药疗的患病率为 67%。止痛药（66.7%）和抗生素（32.5%）是最常购买和未经处方使用的药物类型。民族和健康状况也显著影响自我药疗行为以及抗生素的购买和使用。前往医疗中心的距离以及危险或困难的旅行，患有关节炎或住院治疗的参与者与农民购买和使用未经处方的药物和抗生素显著相关。
我们的研究强调了越南山区农民自我药疗的高患病率。个人因素，如民族、健康状况、前往医疗中心的距离以及危险或困难的旅行，与自我药疗行为以及抗生素的购买和使用有关。由此，本研究提出了一些干预措施。例如，需要制定官方指南来提高认识并减少自我药疗的不利影响；并应用数字健康技术来缩小越南山区和其他地区之间的医疗服务差距。
