Dissertation Research: Self Medication with Antibiotics of Women in Zaire

本项目涉及凯斯西储大学一名人类学学生的论文研究。该项目旨在研究扎伊尔一个区域城市妇女自行服用抗生素的性质。该学生假设，无论疾病概念的变化或症状的严重程度如何，用抗生素自我治疗已成为女性的首选治疗方法。这项研究将从育龄妇女中收集数据，采用深度访谈、系统的引出技巧和相对较少的妇女开放式问题。根据所获得的知识，将设计并通过多阶段抽样方法对大约250名妇女进行调查。从这一样本中选出15名报告有性病症状的妇女作为子样本，将对其进行深入访谈，以检查决策的实际背景。药剂师和其他抗生素药品供应商也将接受采访。这项研究很重要，因为在发展中国家，强力抗生素药物通常在没有处方或其他专家医疗控制的情况下销售，导致耐药菌株的发展。从这个项目中获得的关于人们如何以及为什么自我用药的新知识，将对健康规划者和决策者在设计方案以满足健康需求的同时最大限度地减少抗生素药物的不当使用有价值。

This project involves the dissertation research of an anthropology student from Case Western Reserve University. The project is to study the nature of self-medication with antibiotics by women in a regional city in Zaire. The student hypothesizes that self-treatment with antibiotics has become the preferred therapy among women regardless of variation of illness conceptions or severity of symptoms. The study will collect data from women of reproductive age using in-depth interviews, systematic elicitation techniques and open ended questions from a relatively small set of women. Based on the knowledge gained a survey will be designed and administered to about 250 women selected through a multistage sampling method. From this sample a subsample of 15 women who report having experience with STD symptoms will be interviewed in-depth in order to examine the actual context of decision making. Pharmacists and other antibiotic drug vendors will also be interviewed. This research is important because powerful antibiotic medications are commonly sold without prescription or other expert medical control all over the developing world, leading to the development of drug-resistant strains of disease. The new knowledge from this project about how and why people self-medicate will be valuable to health planners and decision makers in designing programs to address health needs while minimizing inappropriate use of antibiotic medicinal drugs.