Publication:

Patterns and determinants of self-medication for oral health problems among hospital outpatients in Jharkhand, India

Background Unsupervised self-medication for dental ailments presents substantial clinical hazards, yet regional evidence from hospital settings in eastern India remains limited. This study evaluated the prevalence, patterns, and socio-demographic determinants of self-medication for oral health problems among hospital outpatients in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand.

Methods This cross-sectional analytical study enrolled 400 adult outpatients aged 18 years and above at a tertiary dental facility in Jharkhand using census sampling over 12 months. Data regarding self-medication practices, reasons, drug classes, and information sources were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire and evaluated using descriptive statistics and Pearson's chi-square test.

Results Overall, 248 of 400 participants (62.00%) reported self-medication in the preceding year. Prevalence was significantly higher among participants aged 41–60 years (96/136, 70.59%) than those aged 21–40 years (152/264, 57.58%) and in males (144/216, 66.67%) versus females (104/184, 56.52%). Toothache was the chief complaint (168/248, 67.74%), lack of time was the primary reason (176/248, 70.97%), analgesics were the most common drug class (176/248, 70.97%), and pharmacists were the main information source (136/248, 54.84%); adverse effects occurred in 16 participants (6.45%).

Conclusions Oral self-medication is highly prevalent among hospital outpatients in Jharkhand, driven largely by acute toothache and time constraints, with older age and male gender significantly increasing likelihood. Public health initiatives and regulatory oversight of pharmacy drug dispensing are urgently needed to reduce inappropriate self-care.