Assessment of Self-Medication With Analgesics Among Farmers: ACommunity Survey in North-Western Nigeria

Abstract

Self-medication has emerged as a growing public health concern, particularly with the use of analgesics for both medical and non-medical purposes; this trend is exacerbated by the widespread availability of a broad range of over-thecounter (OTC) analgesics. As their use becomes more pervasive, the incidence of associated adverse effects continues to rise. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of analgesic use and related side effects among farmers in the community. A cross-sectional descriptive study of 139 respondents aged 17 to 70 years, recruited through a multi staged sampling technique was carried out. A semi structured interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect relevant demographic and analgesic use history, data was cleaned, entered and analysed using SPSS version 25. Univariate variables were summarised and presented as proportions and percentages on tables, while Chi square test of association and other appropriate tests were done for bivariate variables and those found with p<0.05 were taken to be significant. All respondents were male, with 39.6% aged between 17 and 24 years, and a mean age of 30.72 ± 2 standard deviations. The majority (93.5%) identified as Hausa, and 99.3% practiced Islam. However, only 39.3% had attained secondary education. The prevalence of current use of analgesic amongst farmers in the community was found to be (59.7%) with Paracetamol as the most used analgesic (81.3%). Others include diclofenac (67.6%) aspirin (51%), really extra (47.9%), tramadol (42.2%) and codeine (33.5%), Additionally, majority (74.8%) of respondents reported engaging in self-medication by acquiring analgesics directly over the counter (OTC) without prescription from medical personnel. The Knowledge of side effects of analgesics use was found to be poor amongst 97.8% of the respondents. Statistically significant association was found between Knowledge of side effect and level of education of respondents (p=0.025). The prevalence of analgesic use among farmers in the Community was found to be high with corresponding low Knowledge of side effects of use of analgesics. The commonly used analgesics were paracetamol, diclofenac, aspirin and codeine. Promoting appropriate health-seeking behaviour and encouraging the rational use of analgesics are critical steps to prevent the impending rise in side-effects associated with analgesic use, also there is an urgent need to raise awareness and enhance the knowledge of farmers within the community regarding the potential side effects of analgesic use.