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Prevalence of Self-Medication During Covid-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Publisher Pubmed



Kazemioula G1 ; Golestani S2 ; Alavi SMA3 ; Taheri F4 ; Gheshlagh RG5 ; Lotfalizadeh MH6
Authors
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Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  2. 2. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Dental School, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
  3. 3. Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
  4. 4. Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
  5. 5. Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
  6. 6. Board Certificate Oral and Maxillofacial Radiologist, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences (NKUMS), Bojnurd, Iran

Source: Frontiers in Public Health Published:2022


Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on travel and quarantine measures made people turn to self-medication (SM) to control the symptoms of their diseases. Different studies were conducted worldwide on different populations, and their results were different. Therefore, this global systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the pooled prevalence of self-medication. Methods: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, databases of Scopus, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched without a time limit. All eligible observational articles that reported self-medication during the COVID-19 pandemic were analyzed. Heterogeneity among the studies was assessed using Cochran's Q test and I2 statistics. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of self-medication. The methodological quality of the articles was evaluated with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Results: Fifty-six eligible studies were reviewed. The pooled prevalence of self-medication was 48.6% (95% CI: 42.8–54.3). The highest and lowest prevalence of self-medication was in Asia (53%; 95% CI: 45–61) and Europe (40.8%; 95% CI: 35–46.8). Also, the highest and lowest prevalence of self-medication was related to students (54.5; 95% CI: 40.8–68.3) and healthcare workers (32.5%; 16–49). The prevalence of self-medication in the general population (48.8%; 40.6–57) and in patients with COVID-19 (41.7%; 25.5–58). The prevalence of self-medication was higher in studies that collected data in 2021 than in 2020 (51.2 vs. 48%). Publication bias was not significant (p = 0.320). Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, self-medication was highly prevalent, so nearly half of the people self-medicated. Therefore, it seems necessary to provide public education to control the consequences of self-medication. Copyright © 2022 Kazemioula, Golestani, Alavi, Taheri, Gheshlagh and Lotfalizadeh.
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