Self-medication and its influencing factors among rural elderly with two-week illness in Shandong province

  Objective  To examine the status and influencing factors of self-medication among rural elderly with diseases or injury during past two weeks (two-week illness) in Shandong province, and to provide a theoretical basis for developing effective interventions on self-medication.

  Methods  With stratified multistage random sampling, we recruited 7 070 residents aged ≥ 60 years living in rural regions of 3 municipalities of Shandong province more than 6 months. A face-to-face questionnaire survey was conducted among the residents during August – September 2017 and the data collected from 3 240 residents with two-week illness were analyzed to explore self-medication and its associates.

  Results  Of all residents with two-week illness, 2 582 (79.7%) reported undertaking self-medication. The results of unconditional multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the two-week illness residents with the education of junior high school and above and having poor self-rated health were less likely to undertake self-medication; while, those of non-empty nest or not living alone and suffering from at least one chronic disease were more likely to undertake self-medication.

  Conclusion  In Shandong province, the rate of self-medication is relatively high among the rural elderly with two-week illness and the rate is mainly influenced by education, self-rated health, whether being empty nest or living alone, and the number of chronic diseases suffered from.