Self-Medication as a Structural Response to Inequitable Healthcare Access: Evidence from Semi-Urban and Rural Nigeria
1
College of Medicine, Roseman University, Las Vegas, United States
2
Community Medicine and Primary Healthcare, Bingham University, Nasarawa, Nigeria
3
College of Nursing, Roseman University, Henderson, United States
4
United Nations Children's Fund, Abuja, Nigeria
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Self-medication is not merely an individual health behavior but a structural response to inequitable and fragmented health systems. In low- and middle-income countries, limited access to affordable, timely, and inclusive healthcare compels populations to seek care beyond formal health systems, challenging the sustainability and safety of primary healthcare delivery. This study assessed the prevalence, drivers, and sociodemographic determinants of self-medication among adults in a semi-urban and rural Nigerian setting.
METHODS:
A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 372 adults across 11 communities in Karu Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, Nigeria, using multistage stratified random sampling. Data were collected via structured questionnaires assessing self-medication practices, medication sources, indications, and perceived risks. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS version 23, with inferential testing to identify sociodemographic associations.
RESULTS:
Self-medication was reported by 87.7% of respondents, with 53.9% engaging in the practice for several years, indicating normalization rather than episodic use. Primary drivers included time constraints (88.5%), limited access to healthcare professionals (75.5%), reuse of previous prescriptions (73.7%), and high healthcare costs (64.6%). Pharmacies and patent medicine vendors were the dominant access points for medicines. While most self-medication targeted acute conditions such as pain and respiratory symptoms, substantial proportions reported self-medicating for chronic conditions, including diabetes and hypertension. Age and educational level were significantly associated with self-medication practices (p < 0.05); gender was not.
CONCLUSIONS:
The widespread and sustained practice of self-medication reflects persistent inequities in healthcare access and threatens the safety and sustainability of health systems. Addressing this requires borderless, inclusive health strategies that expand primary healthcare coverage, regulate medicine access, strengthen health literacy, and reduce financial barriers—core prerequisites for equitable and sustainable public health.
Self-medication is not merely an individual health behavior but a structural response to inequitable and fragmented health systems. In low- and middle-income countries, limited access to affordable, timely, and inclusive healthcare compels populations to seek care beyond formal health systems, challenging the sustainability and safety of primary healthcare delivery. This study assessed the prevalence, drivers, and sociodemographic determinants of self-medication among adults in a semi-urban and rural Nigerian setting.
METHODS:
A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 372 adults across 11 communities in Karu Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, Nigeria, using multistage stratified random sampling. Data were collected via structured questionnaires assessing self-medication practices, medication sources, indications, and perceived risks. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS version 23, with inferential testing to identify sociodemographic associations.
RESULTS:
Self-medication was reported by 87.7% of respondents, with 53.9% engaging in the practice for several years, indicating normalization rather than episodic use. Primary drivers included time constraints (88.5%), limited access to healthcare professionals (75.5%), reuse of previous prescriptions (73.7%), and high healthcare costs (64.6%). Pharmacies and patent medicine vendors were the dominant access points for medicines. While most self-medication targeted acute conditions such as pain and respiratory symptoms, substantial proportions reported self-medicating for chronic conditions, including diabetes and hypertension. Age and educational level were significantly associated with self-medication practices (p < 0.05); gender was not.
CONCLUSIONS:
The widespread and sustained practice of self-medication reflects persistent inequities in healthcare access and threatens the safety and sustainability of health systems. Addressing this requires borderless, inclusive health strategies that expand primary healthcare coverage, regulate medicine access, strengthen health literacy, and reduce financial barriers—core prerequisites for equitable and sustainable public health.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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