Knowledge and attitudinal dispositions as factors associated with self-medication in malaria treatment modality among selected parents and child care-givers in Nigeria

Abstract

Self-medication with malaria drugs is becoming increasingly common due to multiple factors. The aim of this study was to assess the level of knowledge, attitudinal dispositions, on respondents on the use of self-medication with malaria drugs in Nigeria. The study design was a cross-sectional descriptive study. An online survey was conducted between July and August 2023 using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data were collected with kobotoolbox Forms. A total of 399 respondents participated in the study, with a mean age of 43.52 years (± 10.90) years. Majority of the respondents were young adults between the age ranges of 34 -44 years. Coartem (68.7%) was most used by the study respondents. Doctor's and Pharmacist's prescription for the respondents were 50.9% and 54.40%, respectively. 96.2% of the respondents complied with the duration of the use of the malaria drug, 68.90% reported that they had no side effects and 34.8% stated that the malaria drug was effective to resolving their illness. The respondents indicated that 25.30% and 21.10% have taken malaria drugs once and twice, respectively, between September 2022 and August 2023. Convenience (58.60%), Cost saving (23.60%), Long delays in hospital (23.10%), and attitude of hospital staff (6.3%) were mostly the reasons why the study respondents were involved in self-medicating with malaria drugs. 96.2% of respondents said they completely understood the instructions for the malaria medications they used to self-medicate. More than half of the respondents (53.9%) sometimes sleep under the mosquito net, 32.6% has never sleep under mosquito net, and this is not a good public health practice given that malaria is a deadly disease. WHO recommends that the public should sleep under insecticide treated mosquito nets, especially pregnant women and children.We recommend in this study that the use of media to discourage the masses from self-medication with malaria drugs.