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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Obstetrics and Gynecology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1489990
This article is part of the Research Topic Maternal Health Services Utilization in Sub-Saharan Africa View all 13 articles
Self-Medication Practices and Associated Factors Among Pregnant Women in Oromia, Ethiopia. Institutional Based Cross-sectional study
Provisionally accepted
Beyene sisay Damtew *
Hadra Nuri Ahmed² Wondu Abera Bezabih Hinsermu Bayu Abera Elias Bekele Wakwoya¹ Getahun Turiye¹ - Department of midwifery, college of Health science, Arsi University Asella, Ethiopia, Asella, Ethiopia
Background: Self-medication, the practice of using medications without medical prescription, is a widespread phenomenon, particularly among pregnant women. This practice can lead to serious adverse effects on both the mother and the fetus, including drug interactions, birth defects, and premature labor. Despite its potential risks, the prevalence and factors associated with self-medication during pregnancy in Ethiopia remain understudied.Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of self-medication practices and identify the factors associated with it among pregnant women attending antenatal care in Oromia, Ethiopia.A cross-sectional study was conducted from August to September 2023, involving 418 pregnant women attending antenatal care at public health institutions in Asella. Data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. The collected data were cleaned, coded, and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Descriptive statistics were employed to summarize the data, and binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with self-medication.Result: Overall the prevalence of self-medication practice among pregnant women was 39.5% (95%CI: 34.7%-44.7%). Factors associated with self medication practice during pregnancy are; Primigravida women (AOR 2.18, 95% CI: 1.08-3.38), those with unintended pregnancies (AOR 1.65, 95% CI: 1.20-1.70), lacking health education on self-medication during (AOR 1.50, 95% CI: 1.45-2.55), those previous pregnancy and delivery related problem (AOR 1.6, 95% CI 1.55-2.65) were significantly associated with self-medication practice.Self-medication is a prevalent practice among pregnant women in Asella, Ethiopia.To mitigate the risks associated with self-medication, it is crucial to implement comprehensive health education programs targeting pregnant women, particularly primigravida women and those with unintended pregnancies. These programs should emphasize the dangers of self-medication, the importance of seeking professional medical advice, and the proper use of medications during pregnancy.
Keywords: self-medication, pregnant woman, Antenatal care, Asella town, Ethiopia
Received: 02 Sep 2024; Accepted: 26 Feb 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Damtew, Ahmed², Bezabih, Abera, Wakwoya¹ and Turiye¹. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Beyene sisay Damtew, Department of midwifery, college of Health science, Arsi University Asella, Ethiopia, Asella, Ethiopia
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