Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practice on self-care with over-the-counter medicines among pregnant women

Self-care during pregnancy is a crucial topic to be discussed due to its effects on both the mother and fetus. In Sri Lanka, specifically regarding self-care with over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, usage among the pregnant population is scarce. This study assessed knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) on self-care with OTC medicine usage among pregnant women attending maternity clinics in the Colombo Medical Officer of Health (MOH) areas, Sri Lanka. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 399 pregnant women enrolled through simple random sampling using a self-administered questionnaire. Data were collected on knowledge, attitudes, practices, and sociodemographic characteristics. SPSS version 27 was used for descriptive statistical analysis. There were satisfactory levels of KAP on self-care with OTC medicines identified among participants. The Mean ± SD for knowledge was 4.38 ± 0.873, and for attitude and practice, 27.56 ± 3.752 and 20.35 ± 4.235, respectively. Significant positive linear correlation between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.375, p < 0.001), attitude and practice (r = 0.518, p < 0.001), and knowledge and practice (r = 0.224, p < 0.001) were observed. It refers to participants with higher levels of knowledge being more likely to exhibit certain attitudes and engage in good practice regarding self-care. However, 93% of the participants had a wrong intention that any medicine could be used at any stage of pregnancy, and 26.3% of the participants didn't know that the medications taken during pregnancy could impact the fetus. Surprisingly, 87% had misperceived that antibiotics can be purchased as OTC medicines. Additionally, the majority of the participants (96%) believed that they could use old prescriptions to purchase medicines during pregnancy. Greater awareness regarding self-care with OTC medication usage is suggested to be provided during pregnancy.