Unravelling the dilemma of self-medication in Egypt: a cross-sectional survey on knowledge, attitude, and practice of the general Egyptian population.
Self-medication (SM) is a rising public health issue, especially in developing countries. It can be associated with various problems such as the delayed seeking of medical advice, drug interactions, and serious events such as antimicrobial drug resistance. We aimed to evaluate the Egyptian general population's knowledge, attitudes, and practices of SM.
We employed a cross-sectional design between February 7th and March 8th, 2023 using a self-administered questionnaire available in Arabic. The questionnaire was developed based on previous studies and included four domains: sociodemographic data, knowledge, attitude, and practice of SM. We utilized both online (Google Forms) and paper surveys, utilizing convenience and snowball sampling methods. Data were analyzed using R Statistical Software (v4.1.3; R Core Team 2022).
1630 Egyptian individuals (838 females and 792 males) from the seven provinces were enrolled, with a median age of 25 years (IQR: 22-40). Around 55.97% and 48.28% of the participants had good knowledge and favorable attitudes regarding SM respectively, while 62.8% had practiced SM in the previous three months. The most frequently used medications were painkillers (60.74%) followed by antibiotics (32.13%) and antipyretics (28.61%). The pharmacist's recommendation was the source of SM for 53.61% while 31.53% used old medications at home. Most participants (59.08%) practiced SM because they thought they had simple or minor symptoms. The multivariate regression analysis revealed that females had significantly higher knowledge of SM than males (aOR: 2.10; 95%CI: 1.64-2.71; p-value < 0.001), with no significant differences in practice (aOR: 1.24; 95%CI: 0.99 - 1.56; p-value = 0.065). Individuals working or studying in the medical field were significantly more knowledgeable about SM (aOR: 4.30; 95%CI: 3.27-5.69; p-value < 0.001) and more likely to practice SM (aOR: 1.65; 95%CI: 1.26-2.17; p-value < 0.001). The odds of SM decreased with favorable attitudes (aOR: 0.44; 95%CI: 0.36-0.55; p-value < 0.001) while surprisingly, knowledge level was not significantly contributing to SM practice (aOR: 1.15; 95%CI: 0.90-1.48; p-value = 0.268).
SM is prevalent in Egypt, highlighting the importance of raising awareness and encouraging physician consultation as a priority. Governments, healthcare organizations, and educational institutions need to collaborate to provide the necessary support and resources.
Ali HT
，Barakat M
，Abdelhalim AR
，Al-Kurd IN
，Muhammad MK
，Sharkawy MM
，Elbahnasawy M
，Amer SA
，Self-Medication Collaborative Group
... -
《BMC PUBLIC HEALTH》
Expectant fathers' knowledge and attitudes towards postpartum depression and the associated factors: a cross-sectional study in a rural community, Sri Lanka.
Postpartum depression is easily managed when detected early. Since mothers' and newborns' health is influenced by fathers, good knowledge and positive attitudes toward postpartum depression among fathers would help in early detection and early intervention.
To describe the knowledge and attitudes of expectant fathers about postpartum depression and factors associated with their knowledge and attitudes about postpartum depression in a rural community in Sri Lanka.
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 440 expectant fathers selected using cluster sampling. A pretested self-administered questionnaire was used with 30 knowledge statements with a maximum score of 30 points and 15 Likert scale attitude statements with a maximum score of 60 points. Good knowledge was defined as ≥ 50% of the total knowledge score. Positive attitudes were defined as ≥ 50% of the total attitude score. The chi-square test was applied to identify the significance of the associations between sociodemographic factors and knowledge and attitude levels. Multiple logistic regression was performed, and the results were expressed as adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).
The response rate was 93.6%. Most of the expectant fathers (58.2%, n = 256) had never heard about postpartum depression. The median knowledge score was 10 (IQR 4-16), and 33.6% (n = 148) of participants had good knowledge. Good knowledge was significantly associated with a higher educational level (p < 0.001), having a close relative/friend with postpartum depression (p < 0.001), and having heard about postpartum depression before (p < 0.001). Logistic regression revealed significant associations only with higher educational level (aOR = 2.53; 95% CI = 1.54-4.15) and having heard about postpartum depression before (aOR = 5.46; 95% CI = 3.47-8.59). The median attitude score was 36 (IQR 31-40.75), and 83.4% (n = 367) had positive attitudes. Although the bivariate analysis showed that working in the private sector (p = 0.04) and expecting their first child (p = 0.04) were significantly associated with positive attitudes, logistic regression did not reveal any significant association.
The majority of fathers had positive attitudes toward postpartum depression, but their knowledge was limited. Since their attitudes are favorable, the knowledge gap should be minimized by imparting knowledge to facilitate the early detection of postpartum depression among mothers in the area.
Jayamanna K
，Abeysena C
《-》
Attitudes Toward Psychotherapeutic Treatment and Health Literacy in a Large Sample of the General Population in Germany: Cross-Sectional Study.
Prevalences of mental disorders are increasing worldwide. However, many people with mental health problems do not receive adequate treatment. An important factor preventing individuals from seeking professional help is negative attitudes toward psychotherapeutic treatment. Although a positive shift in attitudes has been observed in recent years, there is still substantial stigma surrounding psychotherapeutic treatment. First studies have linked higher health literacy with more positive attitudes toward psychotherapy, but more research is needed in this area.
This study aimed to examine how general and mental health literacy are associated with attitudes toward psychotherapeutic treatment in Germany. Additionally, associations between sociodemographic factors, experience with psychotherapy, and attitudes toward psychotherapy were explored.
A random sample was drawn from a panel representative of the German-speaking population with internet access in Germany and invited to participate in the study via email. Overall, 2000 individuals aged ≥16 years completed the web-based survey with standardized questionnaires in September and October 2022. Attitudes toward psychotherapy and both general and mental health literacy were assessed using the Questionnaire on Attitudes Towards Psychotherapeutic Treatment (QAPT) with 2 subscales ("positive attitudes" and "non-acceptance of society"), the European Health Literacy Survey instrument (HLS-EU-Q16) and the Mental Health Literacy Tool for the Workplace (MHL-W-G). Associations between the questionnaire scales were assessed with Pearson correlations. Additionally, basic sociodemographic information and information on personal and family experiences with psychotherapy were collected. Pearson correlations (age), ANOVAs (level of education and subjective social status), and t tests (experience with psychotherapy, gender, and migration background) were used to analyze how these relate to attitudes toward psychotherapy.
More favorable attitudes toward psychotherapy and lower perceived societal nonacceptance were found in those with higher general (r=0.14, P<.001; r=-0.32, P<.001, respectively) and mental health literacy (r=0.18, P<.001; r=-0.23, P<.001, respectively). Participants with treatment experience for mental health problems (t1260.12=-10.40, P<.001, Cohen d=-0.49; t1050.95=3.06, P=.002, Cohen d=0.16) and who have relatives with treatment experience (t1912.06=-5.66, P<.001, Cohen d=-0.26; t1926=4.77, P<.001, Cohen d=0.22) reported more positive attitudes and higher perceived societal acceptance than those without treatment experience. In terms of sociodemographic differences, being a woman (t1992=-3.60, P<.001, Cohen d=-0.16), younger age (r=-0.11, P<.001), higher subjective social status (F2,1991=5.25, P=.005, η2=.005), and higher levels of education (F2,1983=22.27, P<.001, η2=.021) were associated with more positive attitudes toward psychotherapeutic treatment. Being a man (t1994=5.29, P<.001, Cohen d=0.24), younger age (r=-0.08, P<.001), and lower subjective social status (F2,1993=7.71, P<.001, η2=.008) were associated with higher perceived nonacceptance of psychotherapy.
Positive associations between attitudes toward psychotherapy and both general and mental health literacy were delineated. Future studies should investigate whether targeted health literacy interventions directed at individuals with lower general and mental health literacy might also help to improve attitudes toward psychotherapeutic treatment and help-seeking behavior.
Schröder R
，Hamer T
，Suhr R
，König L
... -
《-》
ResearchGate
(全网免费下载)
钛学术
(全网免费下载)
