An-Najah Staff

Objective: self-medication is practiced significantly worldwide. No data is available on the current status of self-medication practice in Palestine. The objective of this study is to assess the extent of self-medication practice among a random sample of An-Najah National University students.
Methods: this was a cross-sectional, anonymous, questionnaire-based survey that included 1581 students of different academic levels enrolled at different faculties at An-Najah National University. A pre-validated questionnaire with several open-ended and closed-ended questions was administered to the students. Data were coded, entered, and analyzed using SPSS version 13.
Results: sixty three percent of respondents were females enrolled at non-medical schools. The mean age of respondents was 19.9 years. Ninety-eight percent of respondents reported practicing self-medication. There was no statistical difference between respondents who reported practicing self-medication based on gender or type of school (medical vs. non medical). The average number of medications reported by self-medication practitioners was 2.63 ± 1.38 medications per respondent. Analgesics, decongestants, herbal remedies, and antibiotics were the most common classes reported in self-medication. Headache, sore throat, flu, and dysmenorrhea were the most common aliments for which respondents seek self-medication. The majority of respondents practiced self-medication because the ailments they had were simple or because they had previous experience. The majority of respondents had good medication knowledge but did not posses high self-care orientation. Neither medication knowledge, nor self-care orientation was a predicting factor associated with the practice of self-medication. However, in selecting a particular type of medication the type of school, gender, and self-care orientation were influential.
Conclusion: self-medication is very common among An-Najah students. This practice is common for treating clinical conditions that are either simple or previously experienced. Although, no significant predictors of self-medication did exist among the studied group, levels of self-care orientation and medication knowledge can be of value in analyzing the types of medications employed by self-medication practices.

BACKGROUND: The implications of self-medication practices are increasingly recognized around the world; however, little has been reported on the extent of self-medication practiced in Palestine.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the reasons, extent, and correlates of self-medication practices among university students in Palestine.
METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire eliciting self-medication practices was distributed to university students in a cross-sectional design. The 4 variables, sex, type of school, self-care orientation, and medication knowledge, were investigated for possible correlation with self-medication practices. Multiple logistic regression and Chi-square statistics were used in data analysis.
RESULTS: Self-medication practices were reported by 98% of the surveyed students (n=1581). Approximately two thirds of the respondents reported a high self-care orientation and one third reported \"good\" medication knowledge. Multiple logistic regressions indicted that self-care orientation, medication knowledge, and sex were insignificant predictors of self-medication practices, whereas the type of school (P=.012) was a significant predictor. A significant relation between the 4 variables and the type of therapeutic class used in self-medication was observed. For example, males were more inclined to use antiallergic medications (OR=1.48) than females. Medical students were more likely to use laxatives/antidiarrheal agents (OR=1.49) than nonmedical students. Respondents with high a self-care orientation were more inclined to use headache relievers (OR=2.22) compared to those with low self-care orientation. The most commonly reported reason for self-medication practices was simplicity of the illness encountered.
CONCLUSION: Self-medication practices were common among the university students studied. Sex, type of school, self-care orientation, and medication knowledge are important personal factors that are associated with the selection of certain types of therapeutic classes used in self-medication.