Orayj Khalid, Alshahrani Sultan M, Alqahtani Ali M, Alasmari Nawal, Atef Amjad Al Abo, Jrais Hadeel S, Muslot Dalia
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2021 Jun 23;14:2675-2682. doi: 10.2147/RMHP.S312559. eCollection 2021.
During examinations, many students use various over-the-counter (OTC) drugs to improve their concentration or treat exam-related medical symptoms. The purpose of this study was to scrutinize the use of OTC drugs during examinations in Saudi Arabia.
A cross-sectional study was designed, consisting of online, self-administered questionnaires comprising 27 items, including the awareness, knowledge, and attitude of students toward OTC drug use during examinations. A logistic regression model was fitted to determine factors that predict OTC drug use. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS).
A total of 463 (92.6%) completed questionnaires were received from 500 recruited participants. Among participants, 58.5% were women, 47.9% were 22 years or older and completing their final year of study, and 44.1% of students preferred not to disclose their monthly income. The most common cause (35.6%) for OTC drug use during the examination period was headache, followed by pain (21%), fever (16.6%), and cough (8.2%). The most commonly used medication were painkillers, antipyretics, cough and cold medications, and vitamins (57.2%, 16.4%, 11%, and 7.3%, respectively). Male students showed a significant lack of awareness and knowledge regarding the safety and reasons for OTC drug use compared with their female counterparts and were less likely to read the medication leaflet before use (p < 0.001, odds ratio [OR]: 0.36, confidence interval [CI]: 0.23-0.57) and did not know which drugs require prescriptions (p < 0.001, OR: 0.41, CI: 0.27-0.63). Other significant factors that predicted OTC drug use included age, university level, and drug income.
The most common reported cause for OTC drug use during examinations among students was headache. Sex, age, university level, and monthly income were significant factors affecting OTC drug use during examinations.
在考试期间，许多学生使用各种非处方药物来提高注意力或治疗与考试相关的身体症状。本研究的目的是调查沙特阿拉伯学生在考试期间使用非处方药物的情况。
设计了一项横断面研究，采用在线自填问卷，问卷包含27个项目，包括学生在考试期间对使用非处方药物的认知、知识和态度。采用逻辑回归模型确定预测非处方药物使用的因素。使用社会科学统计软件包（SPSS）对数据进行分析。
在500名招募的参与者中，共收到463份（92.6%）完整的问卷。参与者中，58.5%为女性，47.9%年龄在22岁及以上且处于学习最后一年，44.1%的学生不愿透露月收入。考试期间使用非处方药物最常见的原因（35.6%）是头痛，其次是疼痛（21%）、发烧（16.6%）和咳嗽（8.2%）。最常用的药物是止痛药、退烧药、止咳感冒药和维生素（分别为57.2%、16.4%、11%和7.3%）。与女生相比，男生对非处方药物使用的安全性和原因明显缺乏认知和了解，且在使用前不太可能阅读药品说明书（p<0.001，比值比[OR]：0.36，置信区间[CI]：0.23 - 0.57），也不知道哪些药物需要处方（p<0.001，OR：0.41，CI：0.27 - 0.63）。其他预测非处方药物使用的显著因素包括年龄、大学年级和药物收入。
学生在考试期间使用非处方药物最常见的报告原因是头痛。性别、年龄、大学年级和月收入是影响考试期间非处方药物使用的重要因素。
