Prevalence, awareness, and patterns of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory/pain relief drug use among Undergraduates in Delta State, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51412/psnnjp.2024.33Keywords:
Pain relievers, Analgesics, NSAIDs, knowledge, pattern of useAbstract
Background: This study aims to offer insights into the knowledge, awareness and prevalence that exists among undergraduates in Delta State regarding the appropriate use of NSAIDs and other pain relievers.
Methods: This study was a simple, randomly selected cross-sectional descriptive study that utilize a pre-tested questionnaire from a similar study for data collection. The questionnaire was well structured and pretested, comprising 19 open and closed-ended questions, including sub-questions that covered topics from social demographics to knowledge and prevalence. For associations with demographic variables, data analysis employed frequency and percentage counts, as well as chi-square inferential statistics. A p-value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: The study found that 56.8% of participants were female, mostly aged 21-25. Painkiller use was prevalent at 83.3%, with common choices being Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Diclofenac, and Indomethacin for various pains. Effectiveness influenced drug selection for 26.5% of respondents, while healthcare professionals prescribed 33% of the drugs used. For pain management, 45.9% sought hospital advice, and 27% visited chemists. Additionally, 54% of respondents knew the correct dosage, but only 48.3% adhered to it. Over 20.3% rated their awareness of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) as good. Common side effects included sweating, heartburn, chest pain, and stomach pain. The P-values for associations between sociodemographic variables and prevalence were 0.250 for gender and 0.0001 for both age and ethnicity respectively.
Conclusion: The study revealed that over half (54%) of respondents had good knowledge of NSAIDs and a high prevalence (83.3%) of NSAID use, with 30% of respondents stating their awareness of ADRs associated with undergraduate students in Delta State. The high prevalence of NSAIDs use underscores the need for continued public health education on the safe and effective use of these medications.
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Sciences 10(2):86-90. https://doi.org/10.4103/0331-8540.122768.
Awofisayo O, Awofisayo O, Iferi I, Akpan O (2008) The Pattern of Sale and Use of Non- Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Rural and
Urban Centres in Nigeria. Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research 7(3): 1013-1018. https://doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v7i3.14685.
Tan E, Braithwaite I, McKinlay CJD, Dalziel SR (2020) Comparison of Acetaminophen (Paracetamol) with Ibuprofen for Treatment of Fever or Pain in Children Younger than 2 Years. JAMA Network Open 3 (10):e2022398. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.22398.
Kamaldeen A-S, Buhari A-S, Omuya L, Buhari A- S M, Saka AO, Saka MJ (2012) Evaluation of Analgesics Usage in Pain Management among Physicians. Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science 2 (6):194-198. https://doi.org/10.7324/JAPS.2012.2618.
Ghlichloo I, Gerriets V (2023) Nonsteroidal Anti- inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). PubMed. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547742/.
Awodele O, Fadipe A, Adekoya M, Adeyemi O (2015). Prescribing Pattern of Non-Steroidal Ant- ‐Inflammatory Drugs at the Outpatient Pharmacy Department of Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Ghana Medical Journal 49 (1):25. https://doi.org/10.4314/gmj.v49i1.5.
Stolfi C, De Simone V, Pallone F, Monteleone G (2013). Mechanisms of Action of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) and
Mesalazine in the Chemoprevention of Colorectal Cancer. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 14 (9):17972–17985. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms140917972.
Golar SK (2011) Use and Understanding of Analgesics (Painkillers) by Aston University Students. Bioscience Horizons 4(1):71–78.
https://doi.org/10.1093/biohorizons/hzr009.
Mishra A, Pradhan S, Bimal KS, Das A, Arvind Kumar Singh; Swayam Pragyan Parida (2023) Assessment of Medication Adherence and
Associated Factors among Patients with Diabetes Attending a Non-Communicable Disease Clinic in a Community Health Centre in Eastern India. Cureus 15(8) (e43779). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.43779.
Dominick KL, Ahern FM, Gold CH, Heller DA (2003) Gender Differences in NSAID Use among Older Adults with Osteoarthritis. The Annals of pharmacotherapy 37(11): 1566–1571. https://doi.org/10.1345/aph.1C418.
Adeyemo FO, Ohaeri B, Okpala PU, Oghale, O (2016) Prevalence of Drug Abuse amongst University Students in Benin City, Nigeria. Public Health Research 6 (2):31–37.
Esan DT, Fasoro AA, Odesanya OE, Esan TO, Ojo EF, Faeji CO (2018) Assessment of Self- Medication Practices and Its Associated Factors
among Undergraduates of a Private University in Nigeria. Journal of Environmental and Public Health (5439079), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/5439079.
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