Self-medication during COVID-19 in Nursing Students at a Peruvian University

Abstract

Introduction: Some studies report that nursing students self-medicate, but there is little research on this evidence in the context of COVID-19.

Objective: To describe self-medication during COVID-19 in nursing students at a Peruvian university.

Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional research design was carried out. The population was 163 students and the sample was 139 students from the last five study cycles, the sampling was non-probabilistic by convenience during April 2022. For data collection, a questionnaire was used as an instrument with a construct validity of intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.909 (95% CI = 0.899-0.918), and a Kuder-Richardson coefficient of 0.895. For the descriptive analysis, Microsoft Excel spreadsheets version 2019 and SPSS Statistics Software version 21 were used; then absolute and relative frequencies and measures of central tendency of the dimensions of the variable were calculated according to the nature and level of measurement.

Results: The prevalence of self-medication was 63.3%. They self-medicated with azithromycin (53 %), dexamethasone (50 %) and warfarin (3 %).

Conclusions: Self-medication during the COVID-19 pandemic was practiced by almost two thirds of nursing students. Despite the fact that they address the subject during their professional training, it is necessary that academic and health authorities develop promotional preventive programs to control it due to its serious consequences for health. Even this situation is of concern because they are future health professionals who should help prevent self-medication.