A total of 139 students answered the questionnaire correctly and were included in the data analysis. Of the 139 students included in the study, 56.5% were female and 70% did not work in any company or business of their own. 49.6% of the students were aged between 21-25 years old, while 39.6% were aged between 16 and 20 years old. Only 10.6% of the sample were between 26 and 30 years of age.
The university where the sample was collected has 5 faculties: Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and ICT, Faculty of Business Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences and Faculty of Art and Design. 36.7% of the participants were students of the Faculty of Health Sciences, while 34.5% studied in the Faculty of Engineering and ICT. 12.9% and 11.5% of the sample were students of the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences, respectively. Only 4.6% of the students were enrolled in the Faculty of Arts and Design. The general characteristics of the participants are described in Table 1.
Table 1: General characteristics of the sample
Variable
|
sample (%)
|
Prevalence of self-medication(%)
|
Sex
|
|
|
Male
|
59 (42.4)
|
53 (89.8)
|
Female
|
80 (57.6)
|
74 (92.5)
|
Age range
|
|
|
16-20
|
55 (39.6)
|
47 (85.5)
|
21-25
|
69 (49.6)
|
66 (95.7)
|
26-30
|
15 (10.8)
|
14 (93.3)
|
Faculty
|
|
|
Business Sciences
|
18 (11.9)
|
15 (83.3)
|
Social Sciences
|
16 (12.5)
|
16 (100)
|
Healh Sciences
|
51 (36.7)
|
46 (90.2)
|
Engineering and ICT
|
48 (34.5)
|
44 (91.7)
|
Arts and Design
|
6 (4.3)
|
6 (100)
|
Self-medication was reported by 91.4% (n=127) of participants. When asked about their frequency of consumption, 68.3% of the sample reported self-medicating once a month, although 23% reported practicing self-medication every 15 days. Out of the percentage of the sample that reported self-medicating, 58.3% were female and the remaining were male. Students enrolled in the Faculty of Business Sciences reported self-medicating the least, with a prevalence of self-medication of 83.3%, followed by the students of Health Sciences, who reported a 90.2% prevalence. On the other hand, 100% of the students enrolled in the Faculty of Social Sciences reported practicing self-medication.
The principal symptoms associated with self-medication were headache (75.4%), flu (63.5%) and allergies (34.9%). Acid reflux, stomach ache, diarrhea, and infectious diseases were also reported on lower percentages (Figure 1).
Each student reported consuming an average of 2.15, ± 1.08 drugs. As for the types of drugs consumed, participants predominantly reported using paracetamol (53.5%) and other NSAIDS (45.7%), followed by antihistamines (15%), anti-flu decongestants (15%) and antacids (15%). 12.6% of the sample does not remember the name of the medication they consumed, but do recall self-medicating. A smaller percentage of the sample reported self-medicating with antibiotics, contraceptives, and antiemetics.
62.4% of the students that reported self-medicating don't believe their symptoms require medical attention, and 40.8% reported not having time to consult a physician. Interestingly, only 16% of participants listed a lack of economic resources as a reason to self-medicate. (Table 2).
Table 2: Reasons for self-medication among Costa Rican university students
Reasons associated
|
Number of cases (%)
|
Does not consider it necessary to see a doctor
|
78 (62.4)
|
Lack of time
|
51 (40.8)
|
Lack of economic resources
|
20 (16)
|
Lack of medical insurance
|
11 (8.8)
|
Other
|
13 (10.4)
|
The primary sources of advice for taking medications for all students were family members (72.6%) and pharmacy staff (37.9%). Other primary sources reported are shown in Figure 2.
Only 44.9% of the students reported reading the instructions for use. 85% reported having a home pharmacy. Logistic regression showed a significant association between self-medication and having a home pharmacy.
Despite the high prevalence of self-medication among the Costa Rican student population, 77.8% of the sample considered self-medication a risky practice.