Prevalence and Factors Associated with Self-medication in a Nigerian Rural Community

Background: Self-medication (SM) is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the self-administration of medication without a valid prescription or without consulting a healthcare professional. This study aims to examine the Prevalence of self-medication and the associated factors in Ado-Odo-Ota Ogun state Nigeria Methods: The study utilised a descriptive cross-sectional study that used a questionnaire to elicit responses from residents of Ado-Odo Ota Local Government Area (LGA). The study employed a multi-stage sampling approach, and data were analysed using IBM-Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM-SPSS) version 28.0. Results: The prevalence of self-medication in Ado Odo Ota over the past year was 78.4%. About 51.6% of respondents reported self-medicating occasionally, with 24.8% doing so within the last week. Previous prescriptions were the most common source of drug information (40.2%), while big pharmacies were the primary source of drugs. The majority (54.2%) self-medicated because they perceived their illnesses as minor and not requiring a doctor’s attention. Drug selection was mainly based on symptoms (51.9%). The leading reasons for self-medication included financial constraints, with lack of money to pay hospital bills (mean = 4.81 ± 0.7) and the high cost of treatment and tests (mean = 4.64 ± 0.89) strongly influencing this behavior. Conclusion: These findings underscore the need for improved access to healthcare facilities in rural areas and increase awareness about the potential risks and limitations of self-medication.