| IJOMEH
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
Current website - http://ijomeh.eu
Int. J. Occup. Med. Environ Health 2007;20(4):373-380 |
DOI 10.2478/v10001-007-0038-9 |
SAYER I. AL-AZZAM, BELAL A. AL-HUSEIN, FIRAS ALZOUBI, MAJED M. MASADEH, and "MOHAMMAD ALI" S. AL-HORANI |
Abstract
Objectives: A survey was conducted to estimate the prevalence of
self-medication with antibiotics in Jordan and evaluate the factors
associated with antibiotic misuse. Methods: Validated
questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 1943 households
(9281 persons) selected from among different cities in Jordan. Results:
842 (39.5%) of 2133 antibiotic users identified via the survey had used
antibiotics without a prescription within a one-month study period.
Self-medication with antibiotics was found to be significantly
associated with age, income, and level of education. The main reason
for self-medication as reported by the participants was their previous
experience on the efficacy of treatment. The main sources of
antibiotics were the previously prescribed pharmaceuticals stored in
the household and those purchased in pharmacies. Conclusion:
The prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics in Jordan is
alarmingly high. Given the growing global resistance to antibiotics and
the documented health problems related to their inappropriate use, our
findings may have major public health policy implications in Jordan.
Key words
Self-medication, Antibiotics, Jordan, Abuse, Mediterranean, Prescription![](images/buttons/buynum_blue_EN.gif)