Table 3.
Knowledge of the participants regarding self-medication
| Variable | Levels | Frequency (%) (N = 1630) |
|---|---|---|
| Self-medication is taking medications without prescription or supervision of specialized physician | No | 219 (13.44) |
| Not sure | 217 (13.31) | |
| Yes | 1194 (73.25) | |
| Taking medications of unknown sources or origin such as herbals is always safe | No | 984 (60.37) |
| Not sure | 355 (21.78) | |
| Yes | 291 (17.85) | |
| Increasing the doses of medications without physician s supervision is always safe | No | 1166 (71.53) |
| Not sure | 60 (3.68) | |
| Yes | 404 (24.79) | |
| In case side effects occur, we should consult a physician right away | No | 359 (22.02) |
| Not sure | 78 (4.79) | |
| Yes | 1193 (73.19) | |
| Taking medication without physician’s supervision can hide serious symptoms or conditions and lead to its exaggeration | No | 159 (9.75) |
| Not sure | 385 (23.62) | |
| Yes | 1086 (66.63) | |
| Total knowledge score Mean (SD) | 6.90 (2.73) | |
| Knowledge level | Good (≥ mean) | 896 (54.97) |
| Poor (< mean) | 734 (45.03) | |
The underlined answers are the correct answers
A good knowledge level is a score of ≥ mean of the total knowledge score
A poor knowledge level is a score of < mean of the total knowledge score
Abbreviations: SD Standard deviation