Mohammad Ismail Emad Hamdy, Dabaan Abdullah K, Almutairi Ghaday, Alhumidan Fatmah A, Palani Sami Mariam Abdulrhaman, Aldhafeeri Ghada M, Hamdan Alsuwayt Farah Nasser, Rhamatalla Fadul Muzun Salahaldeen, Alotaibi Mohammed S, AlFurayh Moayad A, Alotaibi Abdullah S, Deab Aesa Abdalrhman Raed
Emergency Department, King Khalid General Hospital, Hafar Al-Batin, SAU.
College of Medicine, Qassim University, Buraydah, SAU.
Cureus. 2024 Nov 12;16(11):e73512. doi: 10.7759/cureus.73512. eCollection 2024 Nov.
Self-medication (SM) with non-opioid analgesics (NOAs) has become increasingly prevalent, with individuals using over-the-counter medications to manage pain and other symptoms without professional guidance. While NOAs are generally considered safe when used appropriately, misuse or overuse can lead to adverse effects, including gastrointestinal issues, liver damage, and renal problems.
This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, awareness, and attitudes regarding NOAs and their SM practices, including how these factors vary by demographic characteristics.
This cross-sectional study utilized data from a sample of 475 students who were randomly selected among university students at the University of Hafr Albatin, Hafar Al-Batin, Saudi Arabia. The selected students completed the validated self-administered online questionnaires. The questionnaire includes socio-demographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, marital status, etc.), the use of SM with analgesics, and 20 items to measure students' knowledge, awareness, and attitude regarding NOAs for SM.
All the students sampled responded to our survey representing a 100% response rate. Of the participants, more than half 296 (62.3%) were females, and about 289 (60.8%) were in the 18-to-21 years old age group. The prevalence of students who were using SM with analgesics was about 61.3% (N=291). More than half of the students (276, 58.1%) were regarded as having good knowledge about NOAs for SM; however, only 186 (39.2%) were considered to have a positive attitude about it. Parents' higher education, having health insurance, and current use of SM with analgesics were associated with increased knowledge and attitude. Interestingly, we noted a significant positive correlation between knowledge and attitude scores (p<0.001).
Despite students showing favorable knowledge of NOAs for SM, their attitude about it was less than desired. Students' knowledge and attitude regarding NOAs for SM increased significantly depending on their parents' education, monthly income, and health insurance. Further, this study highlights that students' knowledge was positively correlated with their attitude regarding non-opioid SM. Prospective studies are needed to determine the cause and effect of these factors.
使用非阿片类镇痛药（NOA）进行自我药疗（SM）已变得越来越普遍，人们在没有专业指导的情况下使用非处方药来管理疼痛和其他症状。虽然NOA在适当使用时通常被认为是安全的，但滥用或过度使用可能会导致不良反应，包括胃肠道问题、肝损伤和肾脏问题。
本研究旨在评估关于NOA及其自我药疗行为的知识、意识和态度，包括这些因素如何因人口统计学特征而有所不同。
这项横断面研究利用了从沙特阿拉伯哈费尔巴廷大学的大学生中随机抽取的475名学生样本的数据。所选学生完成了经过验证的在线自填问卷。问卷包括社会人口统计学特征（如年龄、性别、婚姻状况等）、使用镇痛药进行自我药疗的情况，以及20个项目以测量学生对用于自我药疗的NOA的知识、意识和态度。
所有抽样学生都对我们的调查做出了回应，回复率为100%。在参与者中，超过一半（296人，62.3%）为女性，约289人（60.8%）年龄在18至21岁之间。使用镇痛药进行自我药疗的学生患病率约为61.3%（N = 291）。超过一半的学生（276人，58.1%）被认为对用于自我药疗的NOA有良好的了解；然而，只有186人（39.2%）被认为对此持积极态度。父母的高等教育程度、拥有医疗保险以及当前使用镇痛药进行自我药疗与知识和态度的提高相关。有趣的是，我们注意到知识得分与态度得分之间存在显著的正相关（p < 0.001）。
尽管学生对用于自我药疗的NOA表现出良好的知识，但他们对此的态度却不尽如人意。学生对用于自我药疗的NOA的知识和态度因其父母的教育程度、月收入和医疗保险而显著提高。此外，本研究强调学生的知识与他们对非阿片类自我药疗的态度呈正相关。需要进行前瞻性研究以确定这些因素的因果关系。
