title: Perceptions and practices of self-medication in healthcare and nonhealthcare university students in South India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim was to study and compare knowledge, attitude and practices regarding self-medication in healthcare and nonhealthcare university students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Suitably constructed, structured and pretested questionnaires were distributed to 350 students in each group; data were documented in SPSS software version 20.0 and analyzed using χ2-test and multivariate logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Completed questionnaires only were analyzed, which were 314 and 310 in healthcare and nonhealthcare groups, respectively. The majority of students practiced self-medication (84.4% vs. 68.1%; p<0.001) with the most common indications being fever (46.4% vs. 37.9%; p<0.001) and cough and common cold (30.9% vs. 37%; p=0.004). Most commonly self-medicated drugs were antipyretics (67.9% vs. 52.6%; p=0.03) and multivitamins (28.7% vs. 16.8%; p<0.001). A few of them experienced adverse drug reactions due to self-medication (6.8% vs. 1.9%; p<0.001). Independent risk factors for self-medication were younger age group (OR=2.93, CI 95% 1.09-7.85), storage of medicines at home (OR=2.49, CI 95% 1.21-5.12), healthcare students (OR=2.54, CI 95% 1.72-3.74), higher knowledge scores (OR=1.65, CI 95% 1.08-2.52), those consuming homeopathic preparations (OR=9.19, CI 95% 1.24-68.11), multivitamins (OR=6.7, CI 95% 2.88-15.6) or health supplements (OR=6, CI 95% 2.15-16.74), participants who strongly agreed that self-medication is a part of self-care (OR=3.97, CI 95% 1.56-10.09), and those self-medicating with an old prescription for same illness (OR=0.04, CI 95% 0.01-0.15) or over advice from home (OR=0.11, CI 95% 0.04-0.3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Though self-medication is common in university students, there is a dearth in their knowledge regarding the same. This highlights the need for increasing awareness among students regarding hazards of self-medication.
authors.forename: Ajitha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Shweta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oommen
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Topno
authors.forename: Rama Prakasha
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Saya
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012651:Self Medication / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013336:Students, Health Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult