IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bjc/journl/v10y2024i12p317-338.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Factors Associated With Ophthalmic Self Medication Among Adult Patients Attending Sabatia Eye Hospital in Vihiga County, Kenya

Author

Listed:
  • Peter Koome Mutuma

    (German Doctors-Baraka Health Center, Kenya)

  • Alloysius Luambo Omoto

    (German Doctors-Baraka Health Center, Kenya)

  • George Muthui

    (German Doctors-Baraka Health Center, Kenya)

Abstract

Background: Self-medication is the selection and use of non-prescription medicines by individuals’ own initiatives to treat self-recognized illnesses or symptoms. Ophthalmic eye drugs are widely used by many people who trickle into drug stores for the most common and readily available eye drugs ignoring the potential danger they expose themselves to. Objectives: The study sought to determine socioeconomic factors associated with ophthalmic self-medication among adult patients attending Sabatia eye hospital in Vihiga County, Kenya. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. The research was carried out at Sabatia eye hospital, Vihiga County, Kenya. The study population for this research was drawn from 322 patients seeking eye services at the study site. Systematic sampling method was used to select the study subject. The study used structured questionnaires to collect data though interviews and analysis was done using SPSS version 25 and results presented in proportions using tables and graphs. Results: A total of 322 respondents were included into the study which is 101.9% of the 316 participants targeted. Majority of males (49.6%) said they self-medicated because of due to long hospital queues. Respondents aged 40-69 years are more likely to use traditional herbs to treat eye illnesses. Those with college or degree level of education (11.5%) are more likely to self-medicate with antibiotics. Most of the respondents 51.6% presenting with redness of eyes are likely to use antibiotics, while those with trauma 41.8% reported use of drug left overs and were less likely to seek hospital treatment. Those aged 60-69 years reported use of milk as a mode of treatment while the ones aged 18-29 years (8.6%) reported distance as a factor leading to self-medication Recommendations: Health Providers should have quality time with patient coupled with proper counseling on use of drugs as this is regarded as one of the essential components of the overall medicine use process. Rules and regulations on dispensing of medicines from pharmacies should be reinforced and train and employ more eye health workers

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Koome Mutuma & Alloysius Luambo Omoto & George Muthui, 2024. "Factors Associated With Ophthalmic Self Medication Among Adult Patients Attending Sabatia Eye Hospital in Vihiga County, Kenya," International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation, International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI), vol. 10(12), pages 317-338, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:bjc:journl:v:10:y:2024:i:12:p:317-338
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.rsisinternational.org/journals/ijrsi/digital-library/volume-10-issue-12/317-338.pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijrsi/articles/factors-associated-with-ophthalmic-self-medication-among-adult-patients-attending-sabatia-eye-hospital-in-vihiga-county-kenya/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bjc:journl:v:10:y:2024:i:12:p:317-338. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Dr. Renu Malsaria (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijrsi/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.