Appraisal of the practice of ocular self-medication in Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to assess the practice of ocular self-medication among people of the Cape Coast Metropolis, Central Region of Ghana. A population-based survey involving 421 respondents ≥18 years old was conducted. A pre-tested interview-based questionnaire was used to collect data on demographics, ocular symptoms for which selfmedication was practiced, medical knowledge and self-care orientation. Households were systematically and randomly selected as study units. Analysis was done using SPSS version 16. Descriptive results were expressed as frequency, percentage, and mean±standard deviation, χ 2 test was used for associations, and logistic regression was used to test for predictors of the practice of ocular self-medication. Prevalence of ocular self-medication was 23.3% with itchy eye being the main ocular symptom for which self-medication was practiced. Local pharmacies were the main source of drug for ocular self-medication. There was no association between medical knowledge and the practice of ocular self-medication (χ 2 =0.126; P=0.722). Some 25.5% experienced adverse effects. In conclusion, the practice of ocular self-medication was without recourse to adequate concept of the practice of self-care but its negative effect was mitigated by the low self-care orientation of the people.

Proportion of Ophthalmic Self-Medication and Associated Factors among Adult Ophthalmic Patients Attending Borumeda Hospital, Dessie, Northeast Ethiopia

“…is finding agrees with studies done in Ghana [6]. is might be due to the financial constraint that participants could not afford to pay all eye health services.…”

“…is was supported by different studies [2,6]. is might be due to the similarity of symptoms of eye diseases patients believing that ocular medications taken previously can cure their current eye disease.…”

“…Ocular symptoms like redness, watering of the eye, foreign body sensation, and itching of the eye are common symptoms that initiate to use ophthalmic selfmedication. In addition to this, previous ocular illness, living far from the hospital, unaware and poor knowledge about hazards of self-medication, and simplifying their illness are among the factors for ophthalmic self-medication [2][3][4][5][6].…”

“…Globally, the prevalence of ophthalmic self-medication ranges from 25.6% to 73.6% [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. e prevalence of selfmedication has sharply increased throughout the world.…”

Knowledge and awareness of ocular allergy among undergraduate students of public universities in Ghana

“…Itching is typical of ocular allergy and diagnosis without the symptom of ocular itch is always problematic [10, 15, 21]. Studies have shown that bothersome nature of ocular itch is a major drive for the practice of ocular self medication not only among university students [43] but the general population [44]. Photophobia (26.2 %) was the least recognized symptom of ocular allergy as it associated with several other ocular diseases other than allergy [45].…”