OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of self-medication among University of Ljubljana students and the effect of the type of curriculum on the pattern of self-medication. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study included a sample of 1,294 students who freely accessed a self-administered web-based questionnaire in the Slovene language that consisted of a preliminary letter introducing the term 'self-treatment' and 2 sections about self-medication. The preliminary letter asked participants to report the practice of self-treatment during the past year. The main outcome measures were percentages of those reporting self-medication during the past year, which were then used to compare healthcare and non-healthcare students. RESULTS: A majority of students (1,195, 92.3%), both healthcare and non-healthcare, reported the use of some sort of self-medication during the study period. More healthcare students in their senior year (353, 94.1%) than those in their junior year (245, 89.4%) used self-medication (p = 0.04). Healthcare students (p = 0.05) thought that self-medication without improvement of the symptoms should last for 1 week or less. They acquired the drugs for self-medication from pharmacies; thought that previous doctors' advice in a similar situation was a more important reason for self-medication; would seek the advice of a physician or pharmacist for different ways of self-treatment, and quite interestingly thought that self-medication was not very safe. On the other hand, non-healthcare students acquired the drugs from healers and friends. CONCLUSION: The study showed that self-medication was common among all University of Ljubljana students, but that healthcare-related education in students and young adults led to more responsible use of self-medication. Copyright 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of self-medication among University of Ljubljana students and the effect of the type of curriculum on the pattern of self-medication. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study included a sample of 1,294 students who freely accessed a self-administered web-based questionnaire in the Slovene language that consisted of a preliminary letter introducing the term 'self-treatment' and 2 sections about self-medication. The preliminary letter asked participants to report the practice of self-treatment during the past year. The main outcome measures were percentages of those reporting self-medication during the past year, which were then used to compare healthcare and non-healthcare students. RESULTS: A majority of students (1,195, 92.3%), both healthcare and non-healthcare, reported the use of some sort of self-medication during the study period. More healthcare students in their senior year (353, 94.1%) than those in their junior year (245, 89.4%) used self-medication (p = 0.04). Healthcare students (p = 0.05) thought that self-medication without improvement of the symptoms should last for 1 week or less. They acquired the drugs for self-medication from pharmacies; thought that previous doctors' advice in a similar situation was a more important reason for self-medication; would seek the advice of a physician or pharmacist for different ways of self-treatment, and quite interestingly thought that self-medication was not very safe. On the other hand, non-healthcare students acquired the drugs from healers and friends. CONCLUSION: The study showed that self-medication was common among all University of Ljubljana students, but that healthcare-related education in students and young adults led to more responsible use of self-medication. Copyright 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.
Authors: Nahla Khamis Ibrahim; Banan Mohammad Alamoudi; Wejdan Omar Baamer; Rajaa Mohammad Al-Raddadi Journal: Pak J Med Sci Date: 2015 Jan-Feb Impact factor: 1.088
Authors: Marília Garcez Corrêa da Silva; Maria Cristina Flores Soares; Ana Luiza Muccillo-Baisch Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2012-05-08 Impact factor: 3.295