Date of Completion

2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy

Keywords

Self Medication, COVID-19, College Students

Abstract

Background The 2019 Coronavirus Disease caused countries to respond by implementing control efforts such as general lockdowns, social distancing, etc. The pandemic involved psychological distress and altering people’s lives leaving the general sense that people should self-medicate. The study was conducted to determine the associated factors to self-medication Practices among De La Salle Medical Health Sciences Institute (DLSMHSI) College Undergraduates during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Methodology This research employed a quantitative descriptive cross-sectional research design. Out of 352 sample size computed using Raosoft calculator, proportionate quota sampling was done to distribute participants across the different college undergraduates. Data were collected using a self-administered survey questionnaire adapted from Wegbam, et al (2021), and were analyzed using Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis, and MannWhitney tests to explore relationships between variables.

Findings The results for the knowledge section of the survey have indicated that 83.5% (n = 167) of the respondents have a good level of knowledge (mean score = 0.71-1) regarding SMP. It was also found that females (mean rank = 107.26) have a higher level of knowledge than males (mean rank = 86.13). There were three factors that surfaced based on the survey data, namely, fear, familiarity, and healthcare inaccessibility. However, only fear and familiarity were considered major factors; and only familiarity and programs had a significant relationship with each other (p = 0.0276). On the other hand, BS Speech and Language Pathology program believes that they resort to self-medication due to familiarity. Lastly, respondents who do not perform SMP have higher knowledge (mean rank = 105.79), than those who resort to SMP (mean rank = 94.77).

Recommendations For future studies using the same questionnaire, it is recommended to exclude the undecided scale to directly determine the direction of their answers. Follow-up the quantitative data for further interpretation using focus-group discussions. It is also recommended that programs should be reviewed whether certain subjects or courses are present, which educate students on SMPs.

First Advisor

Romeo Luis F. Ramirez

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