Predictors of Self-Medication Practices among Adults Living with Hiv/Aids in the Bolgatanga Municipality in the Upper East Region, Ghana.

Abstract

In the quest for quick relief for minor ailments, reduce cost and save time from visiting a doctor and avoid the long queues in hospitals most people tend to practice self-medication. However people living with HIV/AIDS who usually take a minimum of three highly active antiretroviral drugs need to be extra cautious in order to avoid pronounced adverse reactions, drug-drug interactions and masking of opportunistic infections. The purpose of the study was to assess the factors that influence the practice of self-medication among adults living with HIV/AIDS in the Bolgatanga municipality of the Upper East region of Ghana. Structured questionnaires were administered to 286 HIV adult clients who visited the ART clinic of the Bolgatanga regional hospital using convenient sampling techniques to collect data. The data were analysed using STATA 14 and presented using tables, frequencies and percentages. Statistical significance for all testing was set as 0.05. Out of the total number of participants, 38.81% referred to have self-medicated within the last three months prior to the study. Pain relief (78.38%) was the major reason for self-medication and as such analgesics usage was high (76.58%). Majority of participants (94.4%) had poor knowledge about effects of SM on ART. More than half of participants (61.5%) had a positive attitude and had higher odds to practice self-medication. (OR: 13.5 CI: 6.26-27.54, p value=0.00) Among the perceived health system factors, the perennial shortage of medicines in hospitals was twice likely to influence HIV clients to self-medicate (AOR= 1.9, CI: 1.05-3.34, p=0.03) This research recommends that health facilities should work at improving the availability of essential medicines. Also continuous education to clients is key to minimize adverse events and improve adherence to therapy.