Self-Medication and its associated factors among university students: A cross-sectional study

• Main Authors: Anas Alomoush (Author), Abdullah Alkhawaldeh (Author), Mohamme ALBashtawy (Author), Shaher Hamaideh (Author), Wafa'a Ta'an (Author), Raghad Abdelkader (Author), Khitam Mohammad (Author), Ahmad Rayan (Author), Mohammad Alsadi (Author), Omar Khraisat (Author), Marah Shyab (Author), Rasmieh Al-Amer (Author), Mohammad Suliman (Author), Ahmad Ayed (Author), Asem Abdalrahim (Author), Mohammad Al-Qudah (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications, 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 1735-9066; 10.4103/ijnmr.ijnmr_302_22
• Keywords: cross-sectional studies; prevalence; self-medication/statistics and numerical data; university students; Nursing; RT1-120
• Source: Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research, Vol 29, Iss 2, Pp 268-271 (2024)

Background: Self-medication is a global concern among professionals and non-professionals, with a rapid increase in prevalence. The study aims to assess the prevalence of self-medication and its associated factors among university students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted in three universities, and a total of 817 college students participated in this study. Results: About 75.40% of the participants reported using medications without a professional prescription. The category of analgesics was the most commonly used in self-medication (82.80%), while the most common symptom was a headache (81.50%). Almost 74.10% percent of participants who have practiced self-medication stated that the reason was the "lack of time to consult a physician." Most participants who have used self-medication (90.30%) stated that the source of knowledge was "previous prescription." Conclusions: Health education programs concerning self-mediation should be held in university settings to improve attitudes and practices toward self-mediation.