Qudrati Bashir Ahmad, Sakhi Rohullah, Nikzad Hafizullah, Qudrati Shabir Ahmad
Public Health Faculty, Kabul University of Medical Sciences, Kabul, Afghanistan.
Environmental and Occupational Health, Public Health Faculty, Kabul University of Medical Sciences, Kabul, Afghanistan.
Medicine (Baltimore). 2025 Aug 22;104(34):e44124. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000044124.
The practice of self-medication with antibiotics, particularly over-the-counter ones, has raised significant public health concerns in Afghanistan. This issue is largely influenced by factors such as a lack of basic health education, easy access to medications, poverty, illiteracy, and insufficient healthcare facilities. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics among nonmedical students at Kabul University. This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire and a multi-stage stratified sampling technique among nonmedical students at Kabul University from January to February 2025. Descriptive analysis calculated frequencies and percentages, while the χ2 test explored associations. Out of 369 students, 218 (59.1%) had practiced self-medication with antibiotics. The most commonly self-medicated antibiotics were Amoxicillin 277 (75.1%), Azithromycin 138 (37.4%), and Penicillin 108 (29.3%), which were most commonly used for sore throat 190 (51.5%), common cold 181 (49.1%), and runny nose 166 (45%). The common sources for self-medication were pharmacy 317 (85.9%) and home 76 (20.6%). The most common reasons for practicing antibiotic self-medication were previous experience with the same illness 144 (39%), and lack of funds for a doctor's visit 131 (35.5%). Most students agreed that the primary sources of information for using antibiotics were recommendations from friends and family 242 (65.6%) and the internet 115 (31.2%). This study reveals that self-medication with antibiotics is highly prevalent, with Amoxicillin frequently used for treating streptococcal throat infections and common cold. Easy availability through pharmacies and previous experiences are significant factors. Most advice on antibiotics comes from informal sources, such as friends and family, and the internet is also influential. Emphasis should now be placed on strengthening health education and improving access to healthcare services to mitigate the risks associated with the improper use of antibiotics.
在阿富汗，自行使用抗生素尤其是非处方抗生素的行为引发了重大的公共卫生问题。这个问题很大程度上受到缺乏基本健康教育、药品获取便利、贫困、文盲以及医疗设施不足等因素的影响。本研究的目的是调查喀布尔大学非医学专业学生中自行使用抗生素的流行情况。这项描述性横断面研究于2025年1月至2月在喀布尔大学非医学专业学生中采用问卷调查和多阶段分层抽样技术进行。描述性分析计算频率和百分比，而χ2检验探索关联性。在369名学生中，218名（59.1%）曾自行使用过抗生素。最常自行使用的抗生素是阿莫西林277例（75.1%）、阿奇霉素138例（37.4%）和青霉素108例（29.3%），这些抗生素最常用于治疗喉咙痛190例（51.5%）、普通感冒181例（49.1%）和流鼻涕166例（45%）。自行用药的常见来源是药店317例（85.9%）和家里76例（20.6%）。自行使用抗生素的最常见原因是既往有相同疾病的经历144例（39%）以及没有钱看医生131例（35.5%）。大多数学生认为使用抗生素的主要信息来源是朋友和家人的推荐242例（65.6%）以及互联网115例（31.2%）。本研究表明，自行使用抗生素的情况非常普遍，阿莫西林常用于治疗链球菌性喉咙感染和普通感冒。通过药店容易获取以及既往经历是重要因素。关于抗生素的大多数建议来自非正式来源，如朋友和家人，互联网也有影响。现在应强调加强健康教育并改善医疗服务获取，以降低与不当使用抗生素相关的风险。
