Self-medication practice in Eastern Ethiopia is quite common. However, there is little information with regard to magnitude and associated factors. The objective of this study was to assess the magnitude of self-medication practice and associated factors among adult community members of Jigjiga town, Eastern Ethiopia.
A community based cross-sectional study was conducted from June July 12, Multistage sampling method was used and the number of kebeles and Sub-kebeles were selected using simple random sampling technique. Finally, sampled households in the Sub-kebeles were selected using systematic random sampling. It was entered and cleaned using EPI-Data version 3. Bi-variable and multivariable logistic regression models were carried out to identify factors associated with the self-medication.
The magnitude of self-medication was found to be Therefore, health education should be given to the community on the importance of hospital drugs clinics, health centers and hospitals to shift their perception. Self-medication is the use of any drug or medication to treat an illness or ailment without the supervision of a licensed medical doctor [ 1 ]. Responsible self-medication can be used to prevent and treat symptoms and ailments that do not need medical consultation or oversight [ 2 ].
Most people limit their self-medication behaviors to the use of over-the-counter drugs for everyday health complaints such as colds or headaches. However, some people use illicit or illegal substances to self-medicate for serious problems such as severe pain, depression, anxiety disorders or bipolar disorder [ 1 ].
It is estimated that a total of million people, or 1 out of 20 people between the ages of 15 and 64 years, used an illicit drug in [ 4 ]. Hence, they can potentially worsen their overall health by developing dependencies on the substances they use[ 1 ]. The magnitude of self-medication varies in different studies of different countries. A study conducted in Iran, Jordan, Uganda and Khartoum Sudan shown that the magnitude of self-medication was A systematic review on self-medication practice conducted in Ethiopia shown that, the reported prevalence of self-medication in the studies varied from Findings of different studies similar to this study revealed that different factor associated with self-medication.
