Prevalence and factors associated with self-treatment of symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea among female students of Makerere University

Abstract

Background Self-medication is the selection and use of medicines by individuals to treat self-recognised conditions or symptoms. It also encompasses the continued use of medications formerly prescribed by a physician. Aim The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with self-treatment in the management of the symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea among female students of Makerere University. Method This was a cross- section study which was carried out at Makerere university campus. The study participants were undergraduate female students at the university. Data was collected using questionnaires with both closed- and open-ended questions which were administered to the students but before administering them, the participants were required to give consent. The major form of qualitative data analysis was coding both by computer and manually. Results 216 female participants were recruited into the study ranging from 20 to 30 years with an average age of 22 years in first, second, third and fourth years of study. The prevalence of self-treatment of primary dysmenorrhea was found to be 88.9% and Paracetamol was the highly used medicine (37.5%). Majority, 87.5% got medicines from the pharmacy while others got medicines from the clinics and hospitals. The study unveiled the factors leading to self-medication against symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea among Makerere University female students which included having no time to consult healthcare providers (33.3%), knowledge of the medications (83.3%) and being uncomfortable with consulting healthcare providers (16.7%). Conclusion The prevalence of self-medication in the management of primary dysmenorrhea is high among female students of Makerere University. The knowledge of the treatment choice remains the fundamental contributor to self-medication among the students.