title: Non-doctor consultations and self-medication practices in patients seen at a tertiary dental center in Ibadan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of self-medication practices among dental out patients presenting at a tertiary health care center in Ibadan, and to determine factors that are associated with these practices.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients presenting over a 4-month period, who consented to participate in the study, had a semi-structured questionnaire, highlighting age, sex, income and educational qualification, history of past practice of self-medication, substances used and reasons for resorting to self-medication administered to them. Data obtained were analyzed with the SPSS 12.0.1 software. Frequency tables were generated and statistical relationship between the variables was analyzed using the Chi-square test. Statistical significance was set at P>0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 108 (38.03%) males and 176 (61.97%) females. A total of 139 (48.9%) of the respondents claimed that they have been involved in self-medication. 54.7% of the people involved in self-medication were female, while 41.7% were male. There was a statistically significant difference in self-medication between males and females (P=0.001). 71.2% of the respondents had post-secondary education and only 28.8% had secondary education or less.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Self-medication practices were quite high in this study, and these practices were also prevalent among the educated people. Drug control enforcement needs to be intensified and dental public health education needs to be given greater priority in the overall public health campaigns.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Happy Adeyinka
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Adedapo
authors.forename: Ahmed Oluwatoyin
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Lawal
authors.forename: Akinyele Olumuyiwa
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Adisa
authors.forename: Bukola Folasade
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Adeyemi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D003740:Dental Clinics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009549:Nigeria; D009790:Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010045:Outpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012651:Self Medication / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult