TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background Of The Study
1.2 Statement Of The Problem
1.3 Purpose Of Study
1.4 Research Questions
1.5 Research Hypotheses
1.6
Delimitation Of The Study
1.7 Limitations of The Study
1.8 Significance of The Study
1.9
Operational
Definition of Terms
CHAPTER
TWO
REVIEW
OF RELEVANT LITERATURE
Concept
and Basics of Self-Medication.
Characteristics
of University Undergraduates.
Brief
History of University of Lagos.
Determinants
of Practice of Self-Medication.
Factors Responsible
for Self-Medication.
Products
Commonly used for Self-Medication.
Dangers of
Self-Medication.
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
Research
Method
Population
of Study
Sample
and Sampling Techniques
Instrument
of Data collection
Validity
and Reliability of Instrument
Procedure
for Data collection
Procedure
for Data Analysis
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF
FINDINGS
Descriptive
Analysis of Data
Statistical
Testing of Hypotheses
Discussion
of Findings
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATION.
Summary
Conclusion
Recommendation
QUESTIONNAIRE
ON PRACTICE OF SELF-MEDICATION
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background Of The Study
Medication refers to the act of
consuming medicines for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases correct
medication is observed by reporting any disease to the physician at the
hospital or clinic who diagnoses and prescribes the needed drugs to alleviate
the condition. This is usually followed by filling of such prescription at the
pharmacy by pharmacists (Femi-Oyewo et al, 2002).Self medication can be defined
as the use of drugs to treat self-diagnosed disorder or symptoms or the
intermittent or confined use of a prescribed drugs for chronic or recurrent
disease or symptoms. Over the counter drugs are a form of self-medication, the
buyer diagnoses his own illness and buys a specific drug to treat it (WHO
2000).
Self medication is often seen as
gaining personal independence from established Medicare. According to the joint
statement by the International Pharmaceutical Federation & World Self-medication
Industry, self Medication is the use of non-prescription medicines by people on
their own initiative. It also states that:
1.
Self-care which includes self medication
has been a feature of health care for many years.
2.
Nowadays people are been to accept more
personal responsibility for their health status and to obtain as much sound
information as possible from expert sources in order to help them make
appropriate decision in healthcare.
3.
Government and health insurers are
increasingly encouraging self-care, including self-medication when appropriate
as one means of limiting the rate of increase in third party funding of health
care.
4.
Pharmacist are advisors to the public on everyday
healthcare and key factors in the supply of and advice on medicines.
5.
Advertising is helpful in informing
people about medicines that are available without prescription. It should
always be responsible and should not discourage the individual from seeking
advice from a pharmacist or physician.
Generally people usually have
different remedies for whatever illness you can think of. for example, fever,
cold, catarrh, diarrhea, constipation, indigestion, body pains, headache etc.
friends or even strangers are always ready to advice on which medication to
take, this can be dangerous, even though there is usually no immediate
consequence. This suggests that self-medication has become a public health
threat in our society at large. Consider the fact that in Nigeria most
prescription drugs can be bought from pharmacies and patent medicine stores and
even along the streets without prescription.
Self-medication is also the act of
obtaining and consuming drugs without advice of a doctor either for diagnosis,
prescription or surveillance treatment. It should be known that medicines are
chemicals which can have both good and bad effect on the human body.
Indeed just as medicines can cure,
they can also harm. The Oxford Advanced Learner’s dictionary defined an undergraduate, as a universally or college
student who is studying for their first degree. Some studies have reported
alarming rates of self-medication in student population. An example is a study
carried out by the Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical, microbiology
faculty of Pharmaceutical sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria Nigeria,
titled “Evaluation of Antibiotics self-medication pattern amongst Undergraduate
students of Ahmadu Bello University (Main Campus), Zaria”, it was found that
self-medication was practiced by a majority of the respondents. And that self-medication
with antibiotics was mostly practiced among students of health related
faculties i.e pharmaceutical sciences and medicine the major reasons given for
self medicating with antibiotics were:
a.
Assumed knowledge on antibiotics
b.
Prior experience on the use
c.
Lack of time to go for consultation
d.
Attitude of school clinic staff.
While the conditions for which
antibiotics were taken include; Gastro intestinal tract infections urinary
tract infections and skin infection. More so the university environment is also
a contributing factor in the involvement of youth in self medication. This is
because there is no parental supervision and it is the students’ first
opportunity outside home and opportunity to be part of a larger group without any
form of constraint or rule. Also tertiary institutions have been alleged as the
last period of freedom before adulthood which comes with responsibilities and duties
thus students are more vulnerable and gullible to try out new things however
harmful.
In spite of several awareness and
enlightment campaign the practice of self medication is still eminent. In
combating self-medication, there is a need to know the factors that influence
the practice of self-medication (i.e those factors that encourage the practice
of self-medication among undergraduates.
This study was carried out among
undergraduate of university of lagos Akoka, Lagos State.
1.2 Statement Of The Problem
As a medical personnel, the researcher have
observed that several cases of allergic reactions and severe adverse effects
following drug use have been traced down to self-medication. It has also been
observed that an increasing number of people presenting at the hospitals for
treatment practice self-medication which in most cases worsen their state of
health.
Self medication also leads to
drugs-interactions, wrong treatment for the wrong problem, drug-resentence,
insanity and even death. More and more young people are becoming victims of
self-medication, may be due to their experimental nature. It is therefore important
to study the influence of self-medication among undergraduates of University of
Lagos.
1.3 Purpose Of Study
The purpose of the study is to examine
those factors that influence the practice of self-medication among
undergraduate of University of Lagos.
1.4 Research Questions
The
study intends to answer the following questions:
1.
Will peers influence influence the
practice of self-medication among undergraduates of University of Lagos?
2.
Will attitude of school clinic staff
influence the practice of self-medication among undergraduates of University of
Lagos?
3.
Will over-the-counter sale of drugs
influence the practice of self medication among undergraduates of University of
Lagos?
4.
Will nature
of illness influence the practice of self-medication among undergraduates of
University of Lagos?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
1.
Peers will influence the practice of self-medication
among undergraduates of University of Lagos.
2.
Attitude of school clinic staff will not
influence the practice of self-medication among undergraduates of University of
Lagos.
3.
Over-the-counter sale of drugs will influence
the practice of self medication among undergraduates of University of Lagos.
4.
Nature of illness will not
influence the practice of self-medication among undergraduates of University of
Lagos.
1.6 Delimitation Of The Study
This is study is delimitated to:
1.
University of Lagos.
2.
Undergraduate in 100 to 500 level.
3.
Four faculties of social sciences,
environmental science, engineering, and education.
4.
A self developed questionnaire.
5.
Self medication.
6.
Determinant factors of peer influence,
gender attitude of school clinic staff, over the counter sale of drugs, nature
of illness.
1.7
Limitations of The Study
During the study, the researcher
encountered the following limitations:
1.
The number of questionnaires distributed
is not enough to represent the University of Lagos.
2.
Little information is available about
the influence of the practice of self medication.
3.
Some students who were approached
declined participation in the research.
1.8
Significance of The Study
The researcher expects that through
this study the University of Lagos could create strategic solutions to tackle the
practice of self-medication among its students. This study is expected to
assist future researchers on this topic as a reference.
This research might be an eye-opener
to the factors that influence undergraduate of University of Lagos to practice
self medication through the specific findings of the study.
1.9 Operational Definition of Terms
Self medication:
it is the use of drug without a doctor’s prescription to treat perceived or
real malady or to alleviate distress or pain.
Factors: Things
that contribute or lead to the practice of self medication.
Influence: A
power affecting undergraduates’ choice to practice or not to practice self
medication.
Practice: To
perform self medication habitually or usually.
Undergraduates:
Persons studying at the University of Lagos for a first degree, in both
full-time and sandwich programmes.
Gender:
Characteristics of the undergraduate being male or female.
Peer:
People who are of equal age, education or social class with the undergraduate.
Over-
the –counter: Medicines that are sold directly to consumers without a
prescription from a healthcare professional
Click “DOWNLOAD NOW” below to get the complete Projects
FOR QUICK HELP CHAT WITH US NOW!
+(234) 0814 780 1594
Login To Comment