Self-medication among healthcare and non-healthcare students at University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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.


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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Klemenc-Ketis
Zalika
Z
Department of Family Medicine, Medical School, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia. zalika.klemenc-ketis@uni-mb.si
Hladnik
Ziga
Z
Kersnik
Janko
J
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D006281:Health Occupations / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012651:Self Medication / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D017524:Slovenia; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*