Shaqfeh Mariam I, Alsayed Ahmad R, Hasoun Luai Z, Khader Heba A, Zihlif Malek A
Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.
Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan.
Patient Prefer Adherence. 2024 Dec 27;18:2697-2708. doi: 10.2147/PPA.S490277. eCollection 2024.
This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes of the community toward the brand names of the most commonly used over-the-counter (OTC) analgesics in Alkarak, Jordan, as well as to assess community's self-medication behaviors that may lead to misuse of OTC drugs.
This is a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study performed between 7 September and 1 October 2023. The total number of recruited participants was 730 adults from Alkarak, Jordan. One-way ANOVA was used to determine the statistical differences among the means of independent groups. The reliability of each question was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. The Cronbach's alpha was within the accepted range for all questionnaire items (0.7-0.9).
Most participants were male (60.3%), with an average age equal to 38 ± 11.06 years, having a bachelor's degree (61.0%) from humanity colleges (43.6%). The highest proportion of the participants were reported to be without chronic diseases and not under chronic medications (57.1%). This study revealed a low knowledge score regarding OTC drug brand names (2.86 ± 0.99 out of five) and unfavorable attitudes toward OTC medicines (2.68 ±1.04 out of five). However, the study finds a significant relationship between the level of education and knowledge and attitude toward OTC drug brand names (p-value < 0.001). Bachelor's holder participants had the lowest knowledge of OTC drug brand names, whereas the worst attitude was reported among below diploma participants. Many participants held misconceptions about OTC drug brand names that lead to consumption of the same drugs under different brand names at the same time; especially OTC analgesics.
Low levels of knowledge and unfavorable attitudes regarding OTC drug use from different brand names were reported. Increasing the awareness of the community and enhancing the role of physicians and pharmacists in OTC drug consumption may lead to decrease the misuse of these drugs.
本研究旨在评估约旦卡拉克社区对最常用非处方（OTC）镇痛药品牌名称的了解和态度，并评估可能导致OTC药物滥用的社区自我用药行为。
这是一项基于问卷调查的横断面研究，于2023年9月7日至10月1日进行。招募的参与者总数为730名来自约旦卡拉克的成年人。采用单因素方差分析来确定独立组均值之间的统计差异。使用克朗巴哈系数评估每个问题的可靠性。所有问卷项目的克朗巴哈系数均在可接受范围内（0.7 - 0.9）。
大多数参与者为男性（60.3%），平均年龄为38±11.06岁，拥有人文学院的学士学位（61.0%）（43.6%）。据报告，参与者中比例最高的是没有慢性病且未服用慢性药物的人（57.1%）。本研究显示，关于OTC药物品牌名称的知识得分较低（满分5分，为2.86±0.99），对OTC药物的态度也不理想（满分5分，为2.68±1.04）。然而，研究发现教育水平与对OTC药物品牌名称的知识和态度之间存在显著关系（p值<0.001）。拥有学士学位的参与者对OTC药物品牌名称的了解最少，而文凭以下参与者的态度最差。许多参与者对OTC药物品牌名称存在误解，导致同时服用不同品牌的同一种药物；尤其是OTC镇痛药。
报告显示，对不同品牌OTC药物使用的知识水平较低且态度不理想。提高社区意识并加强医生和药剂师在OTC药物消费中的作用，可能会减少这些药物的滥用。
