Current status of knowledge and practice on Corticosteroid use and some related factors in postmenopausal women being treated for musculoskeletal diseases at Viet Tiep Hospital, Hai Phong in 2023

Abstract

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with the aim of describing the current status of knowledge and practice of Corticosteroid use and some related factors among 97 postmenopausal women being treated for musculoskeletal diseases at the Viet Tiep Hospital, Hai Phong in 2023. The results showed that 17 patients knew about Corticosteroid drugs (17.5%). The majority knew that the side effect of the drug was pain relief (82.4%). About three-quarters of patients know the way of administration of the drug is oral and/or injection/infusion. The channel for receiving information about drugs is mainly through medical staff (70.6%). 10 of a total of 17 patients knew about the side effects of the drug. Overall, 13.4% had poor knowledge, 4.1% had fair knowledge and no one had good knowledge about Corticosteroid drugs. In practice, 45.4% used Corticosteroid drugs. Three-quarters of patients buy medicine according to a doctor's prescription, 14.8% buy it themselves. 81.8% of patients used drugs via injection/infusion, only 4.6% used the skin way. Factors related to Corticosteroid include: menopausal age, musculoskeletal diseases of patient, occupation and knowledge about Corticosteroid drugs. The study highlights the limited knowledge of postmenopausal women participating in the study, although the majority of musculoskeletal diseases require Corticosteroid medication.