Table 2.
Most frequent ailments, reasons for use, sources of obtaining and recommendation of treatments in self-medication in pregnant women.
| Characteristic | Self-medication n = 394 (%) |
Medicinal plant n = 264 (%) |
Allopathy n = 110 (%) |
Others n = 76 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Symptom | ||||
| Nausea | 110 (27.9) | 87 (33)* | 28 (25.5) | 7 (9.2) |
| Gastritis | 58 (14.7) | 37 (14) | 22 (20)* | 11 (14.5)* |
| Fatigue | 46 (11.7) | 30 (11.4) | 5 (4.5) | 22 (28.9)* |
| Backache | 32 (8.1) | 24 (9.1) | 10 (9.1) | 3 (3.9)* |
| Infection | 48 (12.2) | 37 (14) | 12 (10.9) | 4 (5.3) |
| Constipation | 62 (15.7) | 49 (18.6)* | 15 (13.6) | 1 (1.3) |
| Migraine | 89 (22.6) | 33 (12.5)* | 57 (51.8)* | 6 (7.9) |
| Cold | 82 (20.8) | 63 (23.9)* | 18 (16.4) | 8 (10.5) |
| Another symptom | 79 (20.1) | 47 (17.8) | 14 (12.7) | 32 (42.1)* |
| Sources to obtain the product | ||||
| Buying direct | 178 (45.2) | 104 (39.4) | 61 (57) | 41 (54.7) |
| Gift | 144 (36.5) | 117 (44.3) | 19 (17.7) | 21 (28) |
| Remaining in previous treatments | 32 (8.1) | 10 (3.8) | 24 (22.4) | 3 (4) |
| Crop | 11 (2.8) | 11 (2.8) | – | – |
| Reason for use | ||||
| Previous knowledge | 126 (32) | 79 (29.9) | 49 (45.8) | 17 (22.7) |
| Recommended | 161 (40.9) | 122 (46.2) | 22 (20.6) | 36 (48) |
| Lack of time/money | 257 (6.9) | 17 (6.4) | 7 (6.5) | 5 (6.7) |
| Fear of allopathy | 24 (6.1) | 21 (8) | 5 (4.7) | 6 (8) |
| Media | 18 (4.6) | 14 (5.3) | 2 (1.9) | 4 (5.3) |
| Sources of recommendation | ||||
| Relative/friend | 234 (59.4) | 184 (69.7) | 29 (27.1) | 49 (65.3) |
| Own initiative | 96 (24.4) | 54 (20.5) | 44 (41.1) | 11 (14.7) |
| Health professional | 36 (9.1) | 17 (6.5) | 21 (19.6) | 7 (9.3) |
| High risk | 88 (22.3) | 63 (23.9) | 26 (24.3) | 16 (21.3) |
| No risk | 306 (77.7) | 201 76.1) | 81 (75.7) | 59 (78.7) |
*
Represents statistical significance (p < 0.05, chi2), compared to self-medication.