Abstract
Objective:
to analyse the prevalence of self-medication during the COVID-19 pandemic among primary education teachers and the associated factors.
Methods:
web-survey type of epidemiological survey performed with primary education teachers from public schools in Minas Gerais. Data collection occurred between August and September of 2020 via digital forms. The dependent variable was self-medication during the pandemic. It was analyzed by Poisson Regression, with robust variance estimation.
Results:
a total of 15,641 teachers from 795 cities in Minas Gerais, 81.9% female, participated in the study. It was observed that 14.5% of teachers increased the self-medication during pandemic, among them, the highest prevalence was between women (Prevalence Ratio [PR]=1.25; 95% of Confidence Interval [95%CI]=1.12;1.40), under 60 years old (PR=1.48; 95%CI=1.12;1.95), living in the urban area (PR=1.15; 95%CI=1.02;1.29), dissatisfied with the teaching work (PR=1.60; 95%CI=1.41;1.82), with worse dietary pattern (PR=1.44; 95%CI=1.33;1.56), outside the risk group for COVID-19 (PR=1.18; 95%CI=1.10;1.27), with sleep problems (PR=2.10; 95%CI=1.85;2.38), sad or regularly depressed (PR=6.29; 95%CI=4.08;9.69), and very afraid of COVID-19 (PR=1.39; 95%CI=1.23;1.57).
Conclusion:
self-medication was associated with sociodemographic characteristics, life habits, health conditions, and indifference or dissatisfaction with the work, characterized as a health problem among teachers.
Keywords:
faculty; pharmaceutical; occupational health; health surveys; coronavirus