Table 5 Summary of medications used for self-medication and conditions treated by self-medication practice (n = 473)
Variable | Frequency | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
aClass of medication used for self-medication (n = 1172) | ||
 Analgesic | 353 | 30.1 |
 Antimalarial | 352 | 30.0 |
 Antibiotics | 182 | 15.5 |
 Multivitamins | 142 | 12.1 |
 Antihistamine | 115 | 9.8 |
 Slimming pills | 19 | 1.6 |
 Others | 9 | 0.9 |
aConditions treated by self-medication practice (n = 1977) | ||
 Headache | 363 | 18.4 |
 Malaria | 334 | 16.9 |
 Cough | 184 | 9.3 |
 Menstrual pain | 170 | 8.6 |
 Cold and flu | 158 | 8.0 |
 Fever | 143 | 7.2 |
 Sore throat | 141 | 7.1 |
 Diarrhea | 113 | 5.7 |
 Stomachache | 105 | 5.3 |
 Constipation | 73 | 3.7 |
 Skin infections | 71 | 3.6 |
 Vomiting | 34 | 1.7 |
 Infections (toothache, STDs and UTI) | 29 | 1.5 |
 Eye problem | 28 | 1.4 |
 Ear problem | 21 | 1.1 |
 Ulcer | 4 | 0.2 |
 Rhinitis | 2 | 0.1 |
 Toothache | 2 | 0.1 |
 Sinusitis | 1 | 0.05 |
 Nausea | 1 | 0.05 |