P M Nishanth Kumaran Shri, Rajasekar Vedapriya Dande, M Jasmine, B N Surya, S Suganthi, S Vijayalakshmi, Murthy Geethanjali, Sundaraboopathy Kesavan, R Arun Kumar, Ramesh Harishma
Community Medicine, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, IND.
Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute (SBV) Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Ammapettai, IND.
Cureus. 2024 Nov 22;16(11):e74202. doi: 10.7759/cureus.74202. eCollection 2024 Nov.
The practice of self-medication is wherein individuals initiate the use of medications without consulting a healthcare professional. College life is a period marked by academic, social, and personal changes. Due to their greater freedom and the pressure of academic success, students face various health issues. In reaction to perceived health concerns, college students often self-medicate by using over-the-counter or even medicines without medical consultation. Factors such as desire for quick relief and lack of awareness can contribute to self-medication. Mental health concerns, such as stress, anxiety, and depression, may drive students to self-medicate as a coping mechanism.
The aim of the study is to estimate the prevalence of self-medication among young adults, determine the reasons, extent, and practice of self-medication, and assess self-medication practices, knowledge, and attitudes among medical students.
A cross-sectional study was used to collect data on the prevalence of self-medication and associated risk factors among college students from a tertiary private medical college in Chengalpattu district between January and March 2024. For the academic year 2023-24, approximately 1,000 students were registered across the first, second, third, and final years of the college. Using a simple random sampling technique, a total of 450 eligible undergraduate medical students were randomly selected. Informed consent was obtained from the participants before the start of the study. All undergraduate students aged 18 and above were included in the study. Students with chronic diseases requiring regular prescription medications and who were not willing to participate were excluded from the study.
The prevalence of self-medication among medical college students was 66.2%. Among the study participants, 45.6% of students had adequate knowledge about self-medication. Around 51% of participants had an attitude that self-medication is acceptable for minor illnesses. In terms of practice, cough syrup was the most frequently used, with 175 (58.7%) of participants reporting its use. Factors such as year of study, gender and self-medication practice had a significant association with knowledge about self-medication.
Self-medication poses a growing risk to individuals' physical health and overall well-being. Hence, it is crucial to encourage responsible medication use and emphasize the importance of consulting healthcare professionals before taking any medication. If left unaddressed, self-medication practices can lead to severe health consequences and undermine the quality of life.
自我药疗是指个人在未咨询医疗保健专业人员的情况下自行开始使用药物。大学生活是一个充满学术、社交和个人变化的时期。由于他们有更大的自由度以及学业成功的压力，学生面临各种健康问题。为应对所察觉到的健康问题，大学生经常自行使用非处方药甚至是未经医疗咨询的药物进行自我药疗。对快速缓解的渴望和意识缺乏等因素可能导致自我药疗。心理健康问题，如压力、焦虑和抑郁，可能促使学生将自我药疗作为一种应对机制。
本研究的目的是估计年轻人中自我药疗的患病率，确定自我药疗的原因、程度和做法，并评估医学生的自我药疗行为、知识和态度。
采用横断面研究方法，收集2024年1月至3月期间来自钦加尔帕图区一所私立三级医学院校大学生自我药疗患病率及相关危险因素的数据。在2023 - 2024学年，该学院一、二、三、四年级总共注册了约1000名学生。使用简单随机抽样技术，共随机选取了450名符合条件的本科医学生。在研究开始前获得了参与者的知情同意。所有年龄在18岁及以上的本科生都被纳入研究。患有需要定期处方药物治疗的慢性病且不愿意参与的学生被排除在研究之外。
医学院学生中自我药疗的患病率为66.2%。在研究参与者中，45.6%的学生对自我药疗有足够的了解。约51%的参与者认为自我药疗对于小病是可以接受的。在用药行为方面，止咳糖浆是最常使用的药物，175名（58.7%）参与者报告使用过。学习年份、性别和自我药疗行为等因素与自我药疗知识有显著关联。
自我药疗对个人身体健康和整体幸福感构成的风险日益增加。因此，鼓励负责任地用药并强调在服用任何药物前咨询医疗保健专业人员的重要性至关重要。如果不加以解决，自我药疗行为可能导致严重的健康后果并损害生活质量。
