Quaternary prevention practices and self-medication in two hospital centers in Chiclayo (Peru)

Authors

  • Rubén Balabonce Chumpitaz Durand Universidad de San Martín de Porres, Perú
  • Héber Isac Arbildo Vega Universidad San Martín de Porres, Perú
  • Daniel Ángel Córdova Sotomayor Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Perú
  • María Susana Picón Pérez Universidad San Martín de Porres, Perú

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14482/sun.40.03.551.631

Keywords:

Quaternary prevention; self medication; preventive health; bioethics; prescriptions; healthy lifestyle; medical errors.

Abstract

Objective: To identify evidence of quaternary prevention practices in health professionals, and to know the level of self-medication of patients, in two hospital centers of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2021.  

Materials and methods: A descriptive, prospective, and cross-sectional study was carried out, with information obtained from the Covid-19 Disposal Centers of Almanzor Aguinaga Asenjo National Hospital and Las Mercedes Regional Teaching Hospital, having applied a questionnaire on self-medication to a sample of 277 patients, represented by 144 female and 133 male participants; as well as a scale corresponding to quaternary prevention applied to 84 health professionals, with a validity and reliability of 0.83 and 0.79, respectively, according to Cronbach's Alpha test.  

Results: 92.9% of health professionals do not practice quaternary prevention in their workplace, and 35% of them show a performance far removed from that purpose. On the other hand, more than 60% of patients report taking medications without a prescription and without following the dose and frequency recommended by health professionals.  

Conclusions: It is essential to educate health personnel in quaternary prevention so that medical procedures are fully justified and ethically responsible. In addition, in the face of recurring cases of self-medication, it is crucial to apply rigorous control measures, sanctioning the social actors involved, and proposing a surveillance system. 

Author Biographies

Rubén Balabonce Chumpitaz Durand, Universidad de San Martín de Porres, Perú

Doctor en Educación, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. Magíster en Salud Pública, Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal. Cirujano dentista, Universidad San Martín de Porres. Licenciado en Educación, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. Universidad San Martín de Porres, Facultad de Medicina Humana. rubencd@hotmail.com. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0699-6721 

Héber Isac Arbildo Vega, Universidad San Martín de Porres, Perú

Doctor en Estomatología y magíster en Estomatología, Universidad Nacional de Trujillo. Cirujano dentista, Universidad Nacional de Trujillo. Universidad San Martín de Porres, Facultad de Medicina Humana. harbildov@usmp.pe. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3689-7502

Daniel Ángel Córdova Sotomayor, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Perú

Magíster en Educación, Universidad Privada César Vallejo. Cirujano dentista,  Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia.Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. danielmedc@upch.edu.pe. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7373-2091

María Susana Picón Pérez, Universidad San Martín de Porres, Perú

Magister en Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Trujillo. Médico cirujano, Universidad Nacional de Trujillo. Universidad San Martín de Porres. Facultad de Medicina Humana. mpiconp@usmp.pe. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7243-9619

Published

2024-12-17

How to Cite

Chumpitaz Durand, R. B., Arbildo Vega, H. I. ., Córdova Sotomayor, D. Ángel ., & Picón Pérez, M. S. . (2024). Quaternary prevention practices and self-medication in two hospital centers in Chiclayo (Peru) . Salud Uninorte, 40(3), 817–838. https://doi.org/10.14482/sun.40.03.551.631

Issue

Section

Original Article