Study of knowledge, attitudes and practices of self-medication among pregnant women in the town of Mokolo in Northern Cameroon

Self-medication is a major public health problem worldwide, given the consequences it can have. However, its consequences seem to be poorly understood by the general public. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge, attitudes and practices of self-medication among pregnant women, by identifying the reasons for this practice, the most commonly consumed drugs and their origin. This was an analytical cross-sectional study using a structured questionnaire among women in the town of Mokolo in northern Cameroon. Data were collected and analyzed using SPSS 25. A total of 300 pregnant women were included in the study, 189 of whom were self-medicating, representing a prevalence of 63.00%. The reasons given by these women were: economic difficulties (55.56%), previous experience of treating a similar illness (20.11%), difficulties in accessing a healthcare professional (15.34%) and the feeling that the condition/illness was benign and therefore did not require a medical consultation (8.99%). The drugs most concerned were paracetamol (47.7%), amoxicillin (7.67%), diclofenac (5.67%) and aluminum hydroxide (5.67%). In addition to these pharmaceutical products, some pregnant women also used herbal preparations for treatment.
Self-medication was highest in the first trimester of pregnancy (79.89%). Pregnant women who were most likely to self-medicate were those who were unaware of the dangers of self-medication and those with non-formal, primary education. Patient knowledge of self-medication during pregnancy was poor in 224 women (74.67%). More than three-quarters of patients (75.33%) had negative attitudes to self-medication during pregnancy. More than half (52.33%) had inadequate practices.