Knowledge, attitudes and practice of self-medication among university students in Portugal: A cross-sectional study

Aims: To describe the knowledge, attitudes and practices of self-medication in college students and to analyse the predicting factors for the engagement in that behaviour. Design: This is a cross-sectional study involving students ( n = 840) from a Portuguese university, selected through stratified and proportional sampling. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire containing, in addition to sociodemographic issues, a scale measuring knowledge about self-medication (α = .488), a scale measuring attitudes towards self-medication (α = .708) and questions about the patterns of self-medication practices (α = .445). Differences between outcomes and sociodemographics were analysed through independent t-tests and ANOVA. A generalised linear model was calculated to determine the predictive variables of self-medication. Results: Over half of the respondents ( 54.3%, n = 434) had used some form of self-medication during the preceding year. Students revealed poor knowledge about the referred practice, correctly answering 1.60 ( SD = 0.936) questions in a total of 3, and favourable attitudes towards self-medication ( M = 2.17, SD = 0.950, range 1–5). Attending engineering sciences (β = .718, 95% CI: 1.373–3.069, p < .001), being female (β = .866, 95% CI: 1.700–3.327, p < .001) and having negative attitudes towards self-medication (β = .367, 95% CI: 1.227–1.698, p < .001) predict the adoption of those practices. Conclusions: Self-medication is a common practice among university students, the level of self-medication knowledge is low and the low score of the level of attitudes revealed that students tended to have a correct positioning towards self-medication. Therefore, the recommendation to develop campaigns or educational programmes becomes obvious, in order to inform about the adverse effects of the use of non-prescribed medicine.

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Self-Medication amongst the university students of Multan, Pakistan- A questionnaire based survey

Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Research ◽

10.22200/pjpr.20162142-145 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 142 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Samman Chughtai

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Response Rate ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Pharmacy Students ◽

Common Condition ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Self Medication ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The World ◽

The University

Self-medication is a common incidence in the world today. This study aims to evaluate self-medication among university students of Multan, Pakistan. This randomized cross sectional study was carried out in Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan during December 2015- January 216. A sample size of 200 students was randomly selected. Response rate was 90% (n=182).The prevalence of self-medication among the students was determined to be 83%. There was difference in perception of pharmacy students and students of other professions. Most common condition in which students did self-medication was headache (49.66%; n=75). Students also showed tendency of self-medication in case of herbal and essential oil products (46.35%). Awareness concerning insecurity and benefits of self-medication must be spread among students to avoid the complications of self-medication.

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Self-Medication Practices with Antibiotics and Antimalarials Among Sudanese Undergraduate University Students

Annals of Pharmacotherapy ◽

10.1345/aph.1k068 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 41 (7-8) ◽

pp. 1249-1255 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Abdelmoneim I Awad ◽

Idris B Eltayeb

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Private University ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Community Pharmacies ◽

Age Group ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Self Medication ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Undergraduate University Students ◽

Study Population

Background: In many developing countries, up to 60–80% of health problems are self-medicated. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics and/or antimalarials and identify factors promoting such use among university students in Sudan. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed, using a pretested questionnaire on a sample of 1300 students selected from 5 universities in Khartoum State, Sudan. Results: Eight hundred ninety-one (79.5%; 95% CI 77.0 to 81.8) students from the study population had used antibiotics or antimalarials without a prescription within 1–2 months prior to the study. Four hundred ninety (55%; 95% CI 51.7 to 58.3) of the respondents stated that they had used antibiotics, 39 (4.4%; 95% CI 3.2 to 6.0) had used antimalarials, and 362 (40.6%; 95% CI 37.4 to 43.9) had used both. Overall, self-medication with antibiotics or antimalarials was significantly more common among students 21 years of age or older compared with those 20 years of age or younger (OR 1.55; 95% CI 1.15 to 2.09; p = 0.004) and among students attending private universities compared with those attending public universities (OR 1.42; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.95; p = 0.028). Self-medication with antibiotics followed a simitar pattern, which was significantly more common among students 21 years of age or older (OR 1.36; 95% CI 1.03 to 1.81; p = 0.03) and private university respondents (OR 1.52; 95% CI 1.15 to 2.02; p = 0.003). Self-medication with antimalarials was found to be significantly less common among females (OR 0.76; 95% CI 0.59 to 0.97; p = 0.028) and higher among the 21 years or older age group (OR 1.84; 95% CI 1.42 to 2.40; p < 0.001), The most common reason indicated for self-medication was the respondents’ previous experiences with similar ailments. The main source of drugs was community pharmacies. Conclusions: The prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics/antimalarials among undergraduate university students in Khartoum State is high. Our findings highlight the need for planning interventions to promote the judicious use of antibiotics/antimicrobials.

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Prevalence and Predictors of Self-Medication with Antifungal Drugs and Herbal Products Among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study from Egypt

Risk Management and Healthcare Policy ◽

10.2147/rmhp.s308400 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol Volume 14 ◽

pp. 2191-2200

Author(s):

Walaa Ahmed Khairy ◽

Hebatallah A Nasser ◽

Mai D Sarhan ◽

Aliaa Ali El Shamy ◽

Yasmine Samir Galal

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Antifungal Drugs ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Self Medication ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Herbal Products

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Knowledge, attitudes and practices about Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) among Birzeit University students: A cross-sectional study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-83268/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Hani A. Naseef ◽

Ni'meh Al-Shami ◽

Lilian S. Abu Hadba ◽

Leen A. Humos ◽

Ruba N. Shaheen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Binary Logistic Regression ◽

Health Professions ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Knowledge Attitudes And Practices

Abstract Aim: COVID-19 the novel corona virus that has been characterized as a pandemic; as it spreads all over the world and has so far infected more than 20 million worldwide. In Palestine, the first seven cases were documented on March 5th, 2020 followed by the declaration of the state of emergency. This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices toward COVID-19 among Birzeit University students.Subject and methods: A cross sectional study was carried out, a questionnaire was developed based on the WHO, CDC, ECDC recommendations. The questionnaire was distributed online and filled by Birzeit University students. Chi-square testing was performed to check for significant association between KAP and different sociodemographic variables. Binary logistic regression performed to identify and control the confounding factors. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 22).Results: A total of 665 students have completed the online questionnaire. The mean age was (20.55±3.069) years. Multivariate analysis revealed that males, students from health professions and scientific faculties and those with highly educated parents had manifested a good knowledge level (GKL) about Covid -19. Regarding students’ practices, less negative practices were prompted by students from health professions faculty and the students living at the middle governorate of Palestine compared to north, south and Jerusalem dwellers. With regards to the practices, the vast majority of the participants held a positive and very cautious practice towards the COVID-19 epidemic.Conclusion: Our results revealed that students had variable knowledge regarding Covid-19 and the vast majority depended on the official media briefs in Palestine as a source of information. With regards to practices, positive and cautious practices towards the COVID-19 epidemic were carried out by the vast majority of participants.

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Self-medication practices and rational drug use habits among university students: a cross-sectional study from Kahramanmaraş, Turkey

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.3990 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. e3990 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Ramazan Azim Okyay ◽

Ayşegül Erdoğan

Keyword(s):

Drug Use ◽

University Students ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Self Medication ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Rational Use ◽

Governmental Organizations ◽

Non Governmental Organizations

BackgroundSelf-medication refers to the use of medicines to treat self-diagnosed diseases without consulting any healthcare professionals. Irrational drug use and self-medication have serious negative consequences both on health and economy. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the habits related to rational use of drugs (RUD) and to estimate the prevalence of self-medication practices among university students.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted on university students in Kahramanmaraş. From May 2017 to June 2017 a total of 960 students filled a “Rational Use of Drugs Questionnaire”.ResultsThe prevalence of practicing self-medication in students was 63.4%. The most common medicines that the students had consumed without prescription were analgesics by 39.5%, antibiotics by 36.9% and cold remedies by 24.0%. The rate of students who declared that they were familiar with RUD and “rational use of antibiotics” (RUA) was 45.9%. Reading/checking the instructions in the prospectus (OR = 1.529, 95% CI [1.176–1.990]), understanding the context of the prospectus (OR = 1.893, 95% CI [1.387–2.584]), compliance with the duration of antibiotic treatment (OR = 1.597, 95% CI [1.231–2.071]) and consulting a physician in case of a side effect (OR = 1.350, 95% CI [1.037–1.757]) were significantly higher among students who were familiar with RUD as compared to who were not.DiscussionSince the awareness of RUD among university students was found to be inadequate, it has critical importance to hold educational activities with the cooperation of physicians, health organizations, universities, non-governmental organizations and media to avoid negative consequences of irrational drug use and self-medication.

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Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards COVID-19 among university students in Pakistan: a cross-sectional study

Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology ◽

10.1515/jbcpp-2020-0436 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 32 (4) ◽

pp. 681-686

Author(s):

Shah Faisal ◽

Junaidi Khotib ◽

Elida Zairina

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Knowledge Score ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Government ◽

Knowledge Attitudes And Practices ◽

Area Of Study

Abstract Objectives Pakistan has taken unprecedented measures to control the spread of COVID-19. Complete lockdown followed by smart lockdown and quarantine centres was established. Their awareness and attitude towards COVID-19 had an impact on the individual behaviour of the precautionary measures. The current study examined the knowledge, attitudes and practices of university students in Pakistan. Methods An online cross-sectional study was conducted among university students in Pakistan. A questionnaire containing demographic and KAP information related to COVID-19 has been created. Results A total of 358 students responded to the survey, and 353 participants completed the study. Among the respondents, 61.5% were male, 76.8% were single, and 58.4% enrolled in a bachelor’s degree. The results showed that most of the respondents (68%) had good knowledge about COVID-19, while the overall knowledge score was 8.78 ± 1.63 (range 1–10). The majority of the respondents (90.9%) were aware of COVID-19, 95.8% knew the sign and symptoms, and 83% of them knew about its transmission. We found a significant difference in knowledge scores across education and area of study p<0.05. More than half (53.5%) of the respondents were satisfied with the facilities provided by the government of Pakistan. The average practices score among the students was 5.08 ± 1.312. A significant difference was found among practice score and area of study p<0.05. Conclusions Most of the students have an adequate level of knowledge and are doing better preventive measures against COVID-19. Health education initiatives are required to ensure best practice among the high-risk groups.

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Understanding parental self-medication with antibiotics among parents of different nationalities: a cross-sectional study

Global Health Research and Policy ◽

10.1186/s41256-021-00226-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Zhongliang Zhou ◽

Dantong Zhao ◽

Huarui Zhang ◽

Chi Shen ◽

Dan Cao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antibiotic Use ◽

Educational Interventions ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Continuous Variable ◽

Least Square ◽

Shaanxi Province ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Self Medication ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitudes And Practices

Abstract Background There is an increasing trend on the practices of parental self-medication with antibiotics (PSMA) around world, accelerating the antibiotic abuse. This study aims to examine the nationality differences in the practices of PSMA and knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) toward antibiotic use, and understand the practices of PSMA among parents of various nationalities in China. Methods A cross-sectional study based on a structured questionnaire survey was conducted in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China, from September 2018 to October 2018. A total of 299 respondents participated in. The practices of PSMA (a dichotomous variable) and KAP toward antibiotic use (a continuous variable) served as dependent variables. Participant’s nationality was regarded as the independent variable. Binary logistic regression and ordinary least square regression were employed to examine the association between parent’s nationality and the practices of PSMA, and KAP toward antibiotic use, respectively. Results 121 (40.88%) Chinese, 100 (33.76%) other Asians and 75 (25.34%) Occidentals were included in final analysis, with a sample size of 296. Chinese were more likely to practice PSMA (OR = 7.070; 95% CI 1.315, 38.01), with worse knowledge (Coef. = − 0.549; 95% CI − 1.021, − 0.078), attitudes (Coef. = − 3.069; 95% CI − 4.182, − 1.956) and practices (Coef. = − 1.976; 95% CI − 3.162, − 0.790) toward antibiotic use, compared to their Occidental counterparts. The main reasons for the practices of PSMA were enough previous medication experience (80.49%) and same ailments with no need to see a doctor (39.02%), with common symptoms such as fever (60.98%) and cough (58.54%). Purchasing antibiotics at pharmacies (92.08%) and using leftover antibiotics (26.83%) were usual approaches. Conclusions The study highlights the gaps in the practices of PSMA and KAP toward antibiotic use among parents of different nationalities. The access to obtain antibiotics from pharmacies reflects the pharmacists’ unaware of laws on prescription of antibiotics, fierce competition in the pharmacy market, and the government’s lax supervision in China. It suggests the need to improve pharmacists’ training, enforce current legislations on pharmacy market regarding the sale of antibiotics, and provide practical and effective educational interventions for residents about antibiotic use.

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The Impact of Information Sources on COVID-19-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) among University Students: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph182312462 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (23) ◽

pp. 12462

Author(s):

Israa Baker ◽

Nizar Marzouqa ◽

Bashar Nafe’ Yaghi ◽

Samer Osama Adawi ◽

Shahd Yousef ◽

...

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Information Sources ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Refugee Camps ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Public ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Knowledge Attitudes And Practices

COVID-19 is an emerging respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus accompanied by a tsunami of misinformation and fake news. This can weaken the public health responses by affecting the COVID-19-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of the public. Therefore, this cross-sectional study was designed during the early stage of the pandemic to evaluate the KAP of Palestinian university students and their commonly used information sources. We found that the most trusted information source among students was the World Health Organization (WHO), followed by the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) briefings and healthcare workers, whereas social media was the most frequently used source of information. The participants exhibited a high level of COVID-19-related knowledge, having an average score of 8.65 (range: 0–10). In total, 76% avoided going to crowded places, and only 33% wore a mask while being outdoors. The vast majority (93%) checked the accuracy of COVID-19-related information before publishing it, 56% used the WHO and MoH briefings for fact-checking, and only 8% relied on healthcare workers. This was particularly the case for those who lived in refugee camps. This study provides an insight into the information sources used by Palestinian university students, the sources they trust, and the information formats they prefer. These results may help public health authorities to locate the information sources through which university students should be targeted. Efforts should be made to recommend healthcare workers as credible information sources. In this way, they will be able to prevent the spread of misleading information and provide high-quality information, especially within unconventional settings such as refugee camps.

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