Self-medication During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic in North Central of Morocco: Prevalence, Causes, and Associated Factors

Background: Self-medication is a significant public health problem that negatively affects human health. Many Moroccans have turned to this practice as a form of prevention or treatment for the newly emerged coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) worldwide. Objectives: This study is the first research conducted in Morocco in the context of this pandemic, aiming to explore the prevalence, sources of information, causes, and risk factors of self-medication during the pandemic period. Methods: A cross-sectional survey using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted in the city of Meknes (North Central of Morocco) from March 2022 to June 2022 to investigate the level of self-medication practices before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: The survey included 400 respondents from the general population (mean age = 34.97 ± 15.8 years). The self-medication rate was obtained as 291 (72.75%). There was a statistically significant decrease in the number of respondents practicing self-medication during COVID-19 compared to the pre-pandemic period. Most medications used for self-medication to prevent or treat COVID-19 were supplements such as vitamin C (81.10%) and zinc (74.91%), followed by acetaminophen (72.51%) and herbal products (69.41%). In the bivariate logistic regression model, age, gender, education level, self-reported health, sector of activity, and medical insurance were analyzed. Multivariate analyses showed that the youngest age group (≤ 30 years) (odds ratio (OR) = 1.59; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.96 - 2.78), university education (OR = 1.47; 95% CI: 0.87 - 2.99), and better self-reported health (OR = 2.83; 95% CI: 1.43 - 3.71) were independently associated with self-medication. Conclusions: Self-medication was a serious health concern in Morocco during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study will be of great interest to the authorities in order to develop new pandemic management strategies, particularly self-medication awareness programs.