Prevalence of self-medication practices among pregnant women in India: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf
; 33(4): e5791, 2024 Apr.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38565527
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Self-medication practice among pregnant women is a global concern. However, its understanding in the Indian context is limited due to a lack of comprehensive studies.PURPOSE:
This study aimed to comprehensively assess the prevalence of self-medication, the medications used for self-medication, diseases/conditions associated with self-medication, and the reasons for self-medication among Indian pregnant women.METHODS:
This study was carried out following the guidelines outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). A thorough search was done in PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar to find articles that were published up until May 2023. Inclusion criteria comprised observational studies reporting self-medication prevalence among pregnant women in India. Data were extracted using a standardized sheet, and a random-effects model was applied to determine the overall prevalence of self-medication using R software. The I2 statistic was employed to assess the heterogeneity among the studies.RESULTS:
This study analyzed eight studies with a collective sample size of 2208 pregnant women. The pooled prevalence of self-medication among pregnant Indian women was 19.3% (95% CI 7.5%-41.3%; I2 = 99%; p < 0.01). Common self-treated conditions were cold, cough, fever, headache, and stomach disorders. Antipyretics, analgesics, antihistamines, and antacids were frequently used for self-medication. The perception of mild ailment, immediate alleviation, convenience, time savings, and advice from family, friends, or the media were all reasons for self-medication. Local pharmacies were the most usual source for obtaining drugs, and pharmacists, family, friends, and past prescriptions were common sources of medicine information.CONCLUSIONS:
A low yet substantial number of pregnant women in India are engaged in self-medication practices. Appropriate strategies need to be planned to reduce self-medication practices to attain sustainable developmental goals for maternal health in India.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Automedicação
/
Gestantes
Limite:
Female
/
Humans
/
Pregnancy
País/Região como assunto:
Asia
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf
Assunto da revista:
EPIDEMIOLOGIA
/
TERAPIA POR MEDICAMENTOS
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Índia