Abstract:
Background: Self-medication during pregnancy is a crucial topic to discuss due to its effects on
both the mother and the fetus. Most of the pregnant women rely on over-the-counter (OTC)
medicines for self-medication regarding pregnancy-related conditions. However, published data
on self-medication among pregnant women in Sri Lanka is scarce.
Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding self-medication with OTC
medicines
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant women attending
maternity clinics in six Medical Officer of Health (MOH) areas in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Data were
collected from 399 participants (selected through a simple random sampling method), using a self administered questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 27.0.
Results: Among respondents, 63.4% were in the age group of 20-30 years, and 38.3% were
Tamil. Moreover, 6.8% used self-medication and iron supplements were the most self-medicated
(74.4%) by the participants. The mean(±SD) score for knowledge was 4.38(±0.873), and for
attitude and practice, those were 27.56(±3.752) and 20.35(±4.325), respectively. Participants’
practices were significantly associated with ethnicity, educational level, and gestational stage
(p=0.036, p≤0.001, p≤0.001), respectively. Significant and positive linear correlations were
observed between knowledge and attitude (r=0.375, p<0.001), attitude and practice (r=0.518,
p<0.001), and knowledge and practice (r=0.224, p<0.001). However, the majority of the
participants 87% had misconceptions that antibiotics can be used at any stage of pregnancy, and
93% believed that they can use any medicine at any stage of pregnancy. Additionally, most
participants (96%) believed they can use old prescriptions to purchase medicines during
pregnancy.
Conclusions: The study elucidates a higher level of knowledge among participants regarding self medication during pregnancy. However, there is a need for improvements in attitudes and
practices on the same aspect. Targeted awareness campaigns should focus on ensuring safer self medication practices
