Prevalence and Determinants of Antimalarial Self-medication in Southern Benin

Abstract

Aims: To determine the prevalence of antimalarial self-medication and identify its determinants in Comé, Southern Benin households. Study Design: Cross-sectional community based study. Place and Duration of Study: Benin southern setting, from April to July 2015. Methodology: It was a cross-sectional study conducted from 1st to 14th July 2015 which involved 480 households randomly selected. Data on socioeconomic and demographic factors, the use of antimalarial drugs, health system and knowledge regarding malaria and dangers of self-medication were collected by questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify determinants of antimalarial self-medication in households. Results: The prevalence of antimalarial self-medication in households was 69.77% [CI95: (65.64; 73.89)]. The use of antimalarial drug from illicit market was reported in 83.75%. In 28.73% of cases, the main anti-malarial drug used in self-medication was artemisinin-based combination. Determinants of antimalarial self-medication were level of economic status: quintiles poor (1 and 2) versus the richest quintile: OR = 6.50 [95%IC (3.43 – 10.68)]; quintiles less poor (3 et 4) versus the richest quintile: OR = 3,05 [95%IC (1,49 – 6,25)]; knowledge of the dangers of antimalarial self-medication, knowledge versus ignorance, OR = 0.26 [95%IC (0.14 – 0.48)], knowledge of dangers associated with street drugs: knowledge versus ignorance; OR =0,40 [95% (0,19 – 0,86)], knowledge of consequences of poorly treated malaria, knowledge versus ignorance: OR = 0,36 [95%IC (0,16 – 0,8)]. Conclusion: The results point out the high prevalence of antimalarial self-medication in households in Comé, Southern Benin. Strengthening knowledge on consequences of antimalarial self-medication, street drugs consumption and poorly treated malaria is needed to avert antimalarial self-medication practices in Comé in Southern Benin.