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International Journal of Midwifery Nursing And Practices Original Research

A Study to Assess the Prevalence of Self-medication and Its Associated Factors Among Pregnant Women in Selected Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital at Kuppam, Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh

  1. B. Aswini Priya Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Nursing, PES College of Nursing
  2. M.N. Pavithra Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecological nursing, PES College of Nursing
  3. J. Balalakshmi The Oxford college of Nursing
  4. V. Divya Sri Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Nursing, PES College of Nursing

Abstract

Self-medication, the practice of using medications without a doctor's prescription, is a growing global public health issue, particularly in resource-limited settings. In pregnancy, self-medication can pose serious risks, including misdiagnosis, incorrect dosages, drug interactions, and prolonged use. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of self-medication, and the factors associated with it among pregnant women at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Kuppam, Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used with a non-probability purposive sampling technique to select 200 pregnant women. Data were collected through structured interviews and organized into four sections: socio-demographic variables, maternal variables, a checklist on self-medication prevalence, and factors associated with self-medication. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. The study found that 49% of pregnant women reported using self-medication. Among them, 87.8% consumed medication rarely, 67.3% for headaches, and 78.5% used topical medications. The primary factors contributing to self-medication included lack of time to visit a hospital (70.4%), minor health issues (72.4%), convenience (77.5%), and financial constraints (37.7%). Significant associations were found between self-medication and factors such as educational qualification (p

Keywords

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