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Self-Medication-Related Behaviors and Poland’s COVID-19 Lockdown

Author

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  • Marta Makowska

    (Institute of Sociological Sciences and Pedagogy, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynownska 166 St. 02-787 Warsaw, Poland)

  • Rafał Boguszewski

    (Institute of Sociological Sciences and Pedagogy, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynownska 166 St. 02-787 Warsaw, Poland)

  • Michał Nowakowski

    (Department of Social Health Problems, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Plac Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej 5, 20-031 Lublin, Poland)

  • Monika Podkowińska

    (Institute of Sociological Sciences and Pedagogy, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynownska 166 St. 02-787 Warsaw, Poland)

Abstract

(1) Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has changed the functioning of Polish health systems. Telemedicine has been developed and access to prescription drugs (Rx) has been facilitated. This study examined whether these changes and the imposition of a three-month lockdown caused Polish people to engage in more self-medication-related behaviors. (2) Method: After the fourth (final) stage of defrosting the Polish economy, an online survey of a quota sample of 1013 Polish respondents was conducted. (3) Results: Almost half of the respondents (45.6%) indicated that they had engaged in at least one behavior associated with inappropriate self-medication during the lockdown (e.g., 16.6% took medication as a precaution, and 16.8% took an Rx formulation without consultation). Some of these people had never engaged in such behaviors prior to the lockdown. Linear regression showed that higher values of a composite (“lockdown”) index of self-medication-related behaviors occurring during lockdown were predicted by greater religiosity and the presence of children in a household. Also, independent samples t -tests showed that people who were afraid for their financial future and people who feared for their health obtained higher lockdown index scores than people not having such worries. (4) Conclusions: Self-medication-related behaviors were more common among Poles before lockdown than during the lockdown (which is unsurprising given that the lengths of the periods compared were hugely different), worryingly, many people exhibited such behaviors for the first time during the lockdown.

Suggested Citation

  • Marta Makowska & Rafał Boguszewski & Michał Nowakowski & Monika Podkowińska, 2020. "Self-Medication-Related Behaviors and Poland’s COVID-19 Lockdown," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-19, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:22:p:8344-:d:443390
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Vaananen, Minna Heleena & Pietila, Kirsi & Airaksinen, Marja, 2006. "Self-medication with antibiotics--Does it really happen in Europe?," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(2), pages 166-171, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Szymon Florek & Magdalena Piegza & Paweł Dębski & Piotr Gorczyca & Robert Pudlo, 2022. "The Influence of Sociodemographic Factors on Symptoms of Anxiety, the Level of Aggression and Alcohol Consumption in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic among Polish Respondents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-12, June.
    2. Marian Woźniak & Aleksandra Badora & Krzysztof Kud, 2023. "Expectations of the Inhabitants of South-Eastern Poland Regarding the Energy Market, in the Context of the COVID-19 Crisis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-25, July.
    3. Magdalena Tuczyńska & Rafał Staszewski & Maja Matthews-Kozanecka & Ewa Baum, 2022. "Impact of Socioeconomic Status on the Perception of Accessibility to and Quality of Healthcare Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Poles—Pilot Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-10, May.
    4. Md. Saiful Islam & Most. Zannatul Ferdous & Ummay Soumayia Islam & Abu Syed Md. Mosaddek & Marc N. Potenza & Shahina Pardhan, 2021. "Treatment, Persistent Symptoms, and Depression in People Infected with COVID-19 in Bangladesh," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-16, February.

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