Factors Explaining Self-Medication in Children Aged 0 - 5 years in the Town of Mwene-Ditu in the Democratic Republic of Congo: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Self-medication is widespread throughout the world, especially in developing countries. It is at the root of very harmful health consequences. This study was therefore conducted to determine its prevalence and identify the factors that explain this practice among children under 5 years of age, with a view to finding appropriate solutions. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in the City of Mwene-Ditu from July to August 2022. This study involved a sample of 422 children aged 0 - 59 months. Data were collected using a questionnaire, processed and analysed using Epi Info 7. The Chisquare Test of Independence was used to test the association between the dependent variable and the independents with a significant p-value ＜ 0.05. Results: The prevalence of children self-medication was 94.5%. The explanatory factors identified were the child’s age (6 to 59 months), the number of children aged 0 to 59 months in the household (2 or more), household size (≥ 2 people), unaffordable medical cost, parents’ socio-economic level (low and medium), low household income, occupation (farmer) and level of education (secondary and university) with p-value ＜ 0.05. Malaria was the disease most frequently self-medicated (36.5%). Conclusion: Self-medication is widely practised in Mwene Ditu as a result of factors identified by this study. Intensified action to change the behaviour of mothers and the community and the implementation of a policy to improve the economic status of the population is essential to tackle this problem.