The effect of education on the level of knowledge regarding self-medication for cough among the community in Malaka Jaya

Self-medication for cough is one of the common approaches used by the community to manage minor health complaints independently. However, inadequate knowledge regarding the selection and proper use of medicines may result in inappropriate medication use. This study aimed to determine the effect of education on the community's level of knowledge regarding cough self-medication in Malaka Jaya RT 005/RW 003, East Jakarta. This study employed a quantitative approach using a pre-experimental design with a one-group pretest-posttest method. The study population consisted of 110 residents; the minimum sample size, calculated using the Slovin formula (10% margin of error), was 53 respondents. This number was increased to 59 respondents to anticipate incomplete data or respondents not meeting the eligibility criteria, and all 59 eligible respondents were included in the analysis. Respondents were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a validated 20-item questionnaire (r-count > r-table of 0.256; Cronbach's Alpha 0.905) administered before and after an educational intervention. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality test showed that the pretest data were not normally distributed (Sig. 0.005) while the posttest data were normally distributed (Sig. 0.051); the non-parametric Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was therefore used to analyze the difference. The results showed that before the educational intervention, 15.2% (n=9) of respondents had a good level of knowledge, 45.8% (n=27) had a moderate level, and 39.0% (n=23) had a poor level. Following the intervention, the proportion with a good level increased to 61.0% (n=36) and moderate to 39.0% (n=23), with no respondents remaining in the poor category. The Wilcoxon test produced Z = -6.699 with a significance value of 0.000 (p < 0.05), indicating a significant difference in respondents' level of knowledge before and after the educational intervention. These findings suggest that education can be an effective approach to improving community knowledge regarding cough self-medication and supporting more appropriate and rational medication use. Kata Kunci: Edukasi, Pengetahuan Masyarakat, Swamedikasi Batuk