Demographic information
Three hundred and sixteen of 342 students completed the questionnaires (response rate of 92%).
Table 1 shows that the total sample size was (316), 54.4% were female while 45.6% were male, the highest age group was (21-23) with 68.7% of the total sample, 83.5% were living in Urban and 16.5% living in Rural. About Specialty, 50.3% found for Medicine and 49.7% for Pharmacy. About education level, the highest percent were 34.5% for the first year. 86.1% hadn't health insurance; since 88.3% hadn't any medical illness.
Table 1. Demographic information of students (n=316)
|
Groups
|
n
|
%
|
Gender
|
Male
|
144
|
45.6
|
Female
|
172
|
54.4
|
Age
|
18–20
|
60
|
19.0
|
21–23
|
217
|
68.7
|
24–27
|
39
|
12.3
|
Area of living
|
Urban
|
264
|
83.5
|
Rural
|
52
|
16.5
|
Specialty
|
Medicine
|
159
|
50.3
|
Pharmacy
|
157
|
49.7
|
Education level
|
First year
|
109
|
34.5
|
Second year
|
52
|
16.5
|
Third year
|
83
|
26.3
|
Fourth year
|
72
|
22.8
|
Do you have health insurance?
|
Yes
|
44
|
13.9
|
No
|
272
|
86.1
|
Do you have any medical illness?
|
Yes
|
37
|
11.7
|
No
|
279
|
88.3
|
Knowledge of self-medication
More than half (81.6%) of students had adequate knowledge that SM is defined as self-consuming of medication without getting advice from a physician. Moreover, the majority (94.3%) of of students knew that all medications (prescription, OTC and herbal) have adverse effects. Most of them (94.9%) recognized the importance of seeking physician help in case of drug adverse effects. A total of 308 (97.5%) students were aware that using medications with unknown substances in patients with liver and kidney disease is dangerous, and approximately all students realized that Increasing or decreasing medication dose without a doctor consultation can be dangerous. More than half (88.3%) of students knew that SM can mask signs and symptoms of some disease (Table 2)
Total score knowledge ranged between 0 to 7; Since poor level considered for the total score (0, 1, 2, 3 and 4) out of (7) and good level considered for the total score (5, 6 and 7) out of (7). Results shows that 17 students out of 316 which represent 5.4% of the total sample had poor knowledge of SM with total score less than 5, while 299 ss, which represent 94.6% had good knowledge of SM with total score (5 and above).
Table 3 demonstrates a statistically significant association (P < .05) between good knowledge and the following student characteristics: being female, and Pharmacy students.
Table 2. Practitioners’ knowledge of self-medication (n=316)
Question
|
n
|
%
|
1- Self-medication is defined as self-consuming of medication without getting advice from a physician.
|
Yes*
|
258
|
81.6
|
No
|
32
|
10.1
|
I don’t know
|
26
|
8.2
|
2- Self-medication is safe?
|
Yes
|
72
|
22.8
|
No*
|
197
|
62.3
|
I don’t know
|
47
|
14.9
|
3- All medications (prescription, OTC and herbal) have adverse effects?
|
Yes*
|
298
|
94.3
|
No
|
13
|
4.1
|
I don’t know
|
5
|
1.6
|
4- Increasing or decreasing medication dose without a doctor consultation can be dangerous?
|
Yes*
|
307
|
97.2
|
No
|
5
|
1.6
|
I don’t know
|
4
|
1.3
|
5- In case of adverse effects, physician help must be sought.
|
Yes*
|
300
|
94.9
|
No
|
1
|
0.3
|
I don’t know
|
15
|
4.7
|
6- Using medications with unknown substances in patients with liver and kidney disease is dangerous.
|
Yes*
|
308
|
97.5
|
No
|
3
|
0.9
|
I don’t know
|
5
|
1.6
|
7- Self-medication can mask signs and symptoms of some disease?
|
Yes*
|
279
|
88.3
|
No
|
7
|
2.2
|
I don’t know
|
30
|
9.5
|
Poor knowledge
|
17
|
5.4
|
Good knowledge
|
299
|
94.6
|
*: Correct answer which consider a good knowledge
Table 3. Association between knowledge and demographic variables (n=316)
|
Knowledge Level
|
Chi-Square
|
p-value
|
Poor
|
Good
|
Gender
|
Male
|
8.3%
|
91.7%
|
4.534
|
0.033*
|
Female
|
2.9%
|
97.1%
|
|
|
Age
|
18–20
|
5.0%
|
95.0%
|
.468
|
0.791
|
21–23
|
5.1%
|
94.9%
|
|
|
24–27
|
7.7%
|
92.3%
|
|
|
Area of living
|
Urban
|
6.1%
|
93.9%
|
1.461
|
0.227
|
Rural
|
1.9%
|
98.1%
|
|
|
What is your specialty?
|
Medicine
|
9.4%
|
90.6%
|
10.334
|
0.001**
|
Pharmacy
|
1.3%
|
98.7%
|
|
|
Education level
|
First year
|
8.3%
|
91.7%
|
7.069
|
0.070
|
Second year
|
1.9%
|
98.1%
|
|
|
Third year
|
1.2%
|
98.8%
|
|
|
Fourth year
|
8.3%
|
91.7%
|
|
|
Do you have health insurance?
|
Yes
|
9.1%
|
90.9%
|
1.383
|
0.240
|
No
|
4.8%
|
95.2%
|
|
|
Do you have any medical illness?
|
Yes
|
2.7%
|
97.3%
|
.590
|
0.442
|
No
|
5.7%
|
94.3%
|
|
|
*significant at p < .05
Students’ attitudes towards self-medication
Table 4 shows the student’s responds to the seven questions of the attitudes towards self-medication. The highest mean score was 3.49 out of 5 point scale for (The availability of OTC medicines and the belief on its safety leading me to use self-medication), followed by mean score 3.29 for (Easy access to healthcare information and facilities, the main cause that medical and pharmacy student use self- medication). While the least mean score of agreements was 1.98 out of 5 scale for (No need for training to use self- medication?). Overall mean score for the attitudes towards SM was 2.92 out of 5 scale, with Std. Deviation of 0.692 which represent about 58.4% of the total sample had high agreements towards the questions of the attitudes toward SM in Qassim university, Saudi Arabia.
Table 5 demonstrates a statistically significant (P < .05) in the mean score of the attitude and the following student characteristics: being male, being 21-23 years’ old, and being pharmacy students.
Table 4. Practitioners’ attitudes towards toward self-medication (n=316)
|
N
|
Minimum
|
Maximum
|
Mean
|
Std. Deviation
|
1- Self–medication part of self care.
|
316
|
1
|
5
|
3.10
|
1.309
|
2- No need for training to use self- medication?
|
316
|
1
|
5
|
1.98
|
1.238
|
3- Medical and pharmacy students are able to diagnosing different diseases.
|
316
|
1
|
5
|
3.12
|
1.176
|
4- Medical and pharmacy students are able to treat different diseases.
|
316
|
1
|
5
|
2.98
|
1.268
|
5- Do you recommend self medication to others?
|
316
|
1
|
5
|
2.48
|
1.268
|
6- Easy access to healthcare information and facilities, the main cause that medical and pharmacy student use self- medication.
|
316
|
1
|
5
|
3.29
|
1.183
|
7- The availability of OTC medicines and the belief on its safety leading me to use self-medication.
|
316
|
1
|
5
|
3.49
|
1.256
|
Attitude
|
316
|
1
|
5
|
2.92
|
0.691
|
Table 5. Association between attitudes score and socio-demographic data (n=316)
|
Groups
|
N
|
Mean
|
Std. Deviation
|
F-ANOVA
|
Sig.
|
Gender
|
Malea
|
144
|
3.07937
|
0.721498
|
14.687
|
0.000**
|
Female
|
172
|
2.78654
|
0.636349
|
|
|
Age
|
18–20
|
60
|
2.65238
|
0.604587
|
6.355
|
0.002**
|
21–23a
|
217
|
3.00263
|
0.728427
|
|
|
24–27
|
39
|
2.87179
|
0.469013
|
|
|
Area of living
|
Urban
|
264
|
2.90260
|
0.704235
|
1.016
|
0.314
|
Rural
|
52
|
3.00824
|
0.618129
|
|
|
Specialty
|
Medicine
|
159
|
2.66577
|
0.624322
|
50.060
|
0.000**
|
Pharmacya
|
157
|
3.17743
|
0.660899
|
|
|
Education level
|
First year
|
109
|
2.83355
|
0.614917
|
2.404
|
0.067
|
Second year
|
52
|
2.96429
|
0.782397
|
|
|
Third year
|
83
|
3.07573
|
0.694979
|
|
|
Fourth year
|
72
|
2.83929
|
0.705555
|
|
|
Do you have health insurance ?
|
Yes
|
44
|
2.85714
|
0.705259
|
0.422
|
0.516
|
No
|
272
|
2.93015
|
0.689445
|
|
|
Do you have any medical illness?
|
Yes
|
37
|
2.69884
|
0.527889
|
4.338
|
0.038*
|
Noa
|
279
|
2.94931
|
0.705385
|
|
|
a: Higher attitude, *: Significante at 0.05 leve. **: Significante at 0.01 level
Table 6 demonstrates a statistically significant negative relation between knowledge and self–medication part of self care (r= -0.152, p< 0.05). The higher the good knowledge of SM the less believing that self–medication part of self care. In addition, there is a statistically significant negative relation between knowledge and recommendation self medication to others (r= -0.143, p< 0.05). The higher the good knowledge of SM the less recommendation self medication to others.
Table 6. Association between knowledge score and attitudes score (n=316)
|
Spearman's rho
|
P-value
|
Significant
|
1- Self–medication part of self care.
|
-0.152
|
0.007
|
<0.001
|
S
|
2- No need for training to use self- medication?
|
-0.087
|
0.123
|
>0.05
|
N.S.
|
3- Medical and pharmacy students are able to diagnosing different diseases.
|
-0.063
|
0.264
|
>0.05
|
N.S.
|
4- Medical and pharmacy students are able to to treat different diseases.
|
-0.089
|
0.115
|
>0.05
|
N.S.
|
5- Do you recommend self medication to others?
|
-0.134
|
0.017
|
< 0.05
|
S
|
6- Easy access to healthcare information and facilities, the main cause that medical and pharmacy student use self- medication.
|
0.129
|
0.022
|
< 0.05
|
S
|
7- The availability of OTC medicines and the belief on its safety leading me to use self-medication.
|
0.082
|
0.148
|
>0.05
|
N.S.
|
Attitude
|
-0.093
|
0.097
|
<0.10
|
S
|
Students’ practices towards self-medication
The students’ practice toward the statements about SM have been illustrated in Table 7. More than half (63.9%) of the students reported that they practice self- medication in the last 6 months. The majority (79.1%) of respondents knew the medication classification of OTC & prescription drugs. Pain killers was the most common medication used for self- medication by the majority of the students (88.29%), followed by antipyretics (49.68%). It was also observed that (36.71%) of the students reported to have self-medicated with Antihistamine, others are listed in Table 7.
More than half (64.56%) of respondents reported that most frequent causes of practice SM were headache followed by cough & common cold (34.8%). Others like fever, Acne, menstrual problems, body pain and allergy with respective episodes of (31%, 28.48%, 24.68%, 20.89%, and 14.87%). More than half (64.87%) of respondents reported that their personal knowledge was the major source of information for the practice of self- medication. Approximately two-thirds (69.3%) of respondents knew the potential adverse reactions of the drug. The majority (94.3%) of respondents reported that they obtained SM from Pharmacy, (12%) used SM from Herbal store.
More than half (67%) of respondents reported that has self-medicated because of non-seriousness of the illness followed by quick relief (63.61%). Approximately one-thirds (22.5%) of respondents reported that they have experienced a negative side effect after self-medication. approximately 69% of them reported side effect from the drug. The majority (77.8%) of respondents reported that they feel confident about the use of self-medication.