Antibiotic self-medication in a rural filipino community: patterns, determinants, and implications for responsible antibiotic use

Abstract

Background: Antibiotic self-medication is a persistent public health concern that contributes to inappropriate infection management, adverse drug reactions, and antimicrobial resistance, particularly in communities with limited access to formal healthcare.

Objective: This study assessed the patterns, adverse-effect experiences, and determinants of antibiotic self-medication among household respondents in Barangay Pagatpatan, Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, Philippines.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional descriptive quantitative study was conducted among 293 randomly selected household respondents. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire adapted from a previously validated instrument and analyzed using Microsoft Excel and JASP version 0.16. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize respondent characteristics and antibiotic-use patterns, while association analyses were performed to examine factors related to selected antibiotic use.

Results: Nearly half of the respondents (49.2%) reported self-medicating with antibiotics within the previous 12 months. Respondents were predominantly female (80.6%), married (63.1%), self-employed (62.5%), and aged 39–48 years (26.3%). Amoxicillin was the most commonly used antibiotic (55.0%), with cost-related reasons reported as the leading driver of self-medication (42.7%). Although 65.5% of respondents were aware that antibiotics may cause adverse effects, only 10.9% reported experiencing adverse reactions, most commonly allergic reactions (34.3%). Association analyses showed statistically significant but weak relationships between selected reasons for self-medication and specific antibiotic use, suggesting that antibiotic self-medication was shaped by multiple overlapping factors rather than a single dominant determinant.

Conclusion: Antibiotic self-medication was common in this rural Filipino community and was influenced by economic, behavioral, and access-related factors. These findings emphasize the need for community-based health education and strengthened antimicrobial stewardship policies to promote rational antibiotic use and reduce risks associated with selfmedication.