{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T13:15:17Z","timestamp":1791378917416,"version":"4.3.2"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)","issue":"9","content-domain":{"domain":["lww.com","ovid.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2024,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>\n                    A\n                    <jats:sc>BSTRACT<\/jats:sc>\n                  <\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Self-medication is a concern at the global level. It comes with complications and different health issues. This study measures the prevalence, influential factors, and reasons behind self-medication.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University. The prevalence and influential factors were measured between September and November 2023. Statistical analysis was performed using RStudio (R version 4.3.1). We used frequencies and percentages to present categorical variables. Using a convenient sampling technique. Factors associated with using self-medication and the differences between students of the medical college and their non-medical counterparts were assessed using Pearson\u2019s Chi-squared test or Fisher\u2019s exact test. Statistical significance was considered at\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">P<\/jats:italic>\n                      &lt; 0.05.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Result:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We initially received 410 responses on the online platform. However, we excluded seven responses from those who disagreed to participate and 12 from participants outside Riyadh. The majority of the participants were female (67.5%). Three hundred nineteen (319) participants indicated that they had ever used self-medications, accounting for a prevalence of 81.6%. Regarding the reasons for self-medication, the most frequently cited factors were \u2018previous experience\u2019 (66.5%) and \u2018time-saving\u2019 (50.2%). Additionally, the primary source of drug information utilized for self-medication practices was predominantly from \u2018relatives\/friends\u2019 (62.4%) and \u2018pharmacologists\u2019 (48.0%). Medications were primarily used for headache (76.8%), fever (48.6%), and pain (47.3%). The most commonly used classes of drugs used for self-medication were painkillers (84.0%), vitamins (42.0%), and eye drops (32.9%).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The results showed that the prevalence of self-medication is high in the surveyed population. There has been an association between monthly income and the prevalence of self-medication. As pharmacists are the second most common source of drug information, it is essential to increase responsibility and avoid marketing and personal benefiting behavior as they are considered a reliable source of information in the population. Healthcare organizers can utilize our study to educate people about the adverse effects of self-medication.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.4103\/jfmpc.jfmpc_308_24","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,10]],"date-time":"2024-09-10T14:19:31Z","timestamp":1725977971000},"page":"3773-3781","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/lww.0000000000001000","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":10,"title":["Self-medication practices among university students at a public university in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"],"prefix":"10.4103","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Khalid","family":"Bin Abdulrahman","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Education, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdulaziz Khalid","family":"Alharbi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdulrahman Mohammed","family":"Alhaddad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdulaziz Mohammed","family":"Alshaya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdullah Sultan","family":"Aldayel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Muath Abdullah","family":"Aljumaiah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"276","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"R1-20241104","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"779107","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2021.779107","article-title":"University students \u2018self-medication practices and pharmacists\u2019 role: A cross-sectional survey in Hail, Saudi Arabia","volume":"9","author":"Alshammari","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"R2-20241104","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"862301","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2022.862301","article-title":"Prevalence, predictors and point of view toward self-medication among residents of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study","volume":"10","author":"Mannasaheb","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"R3-20241104","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2022.1041695","article-title":"Prevalence of self-medication during COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"10","author":"Kazemioula","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"R4-20241104","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"243","DOI":"10.2147\/RMHP.S230257","article-title":"Self-medication among King Khalid University Students, Saudi Arabia","volume":"12","author":"Alshahrani","year":"2019","journal-title":"Risk Manag Healthc Policy"},{"key":"R5-20241104","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1090021","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2023.1090021","article-title":"Prevalence of self-medication and associated factors among female students of health science colleges at Majmaah University: A cross-sectional study","volume":"11","author":"Loni","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"R6-20241104","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"257","DOI":"10.2147\/RMHP.S346998","article-title":"Prevalence, perception, and practice, and attitudes towards self-medication among undergraduate medical students of Najran University, Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study","volume":"15","author":"Al-Qahtani","year":"2022","journal-title":"Risk Manag Healthc Policy"},{"key":"R7-20241104","first-page":"846","article-title":"Prevalence of self-medication in university students: Systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"26","author":"Behzadifar","year":"2020","journal-title":"East Mediterr Health J Rev Sante Mediterr Orient Al-Majallah Al-Sihhiyah Li-Sharq Al-Mutawassit"},{"key":"R9-20241104","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"60","DOI":"10.1186\/s40360-022-00602-5","article-title":"Self-medication practices and their characteristics among Iranian university students","volume":"23","author":"Rahimisadegh","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMC Pharmacol Toxicol"},{"key":"R10-20241104","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1375","DOI":"10.2147\/RMHP.S266329","article-title":"Self-medication practices among undergraduate university students in Northeast Ethiopia","volume":"13","author":"Zewdie","year":"2020","journal-title":"Risk Manag Healthc Policy"},{"key":"R11-20241104","first-page":"54","article-title":"Self-medication practice among medical and non-medical students at Taibah University, Madinah, Saudi Arabia","volume":"3","author":"Aljaouni","year":"2015"},{"key":"R12-20241104","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"339","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2458-12-339","article-title":"Self-medication in university students from the city of Rio Grande, Brazil","volume":"12","author":"Corr\u00eaa da Silva","year":"2012","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"R13-20241104","first-page":"214","article-title":"Self-medication amongst university students of Karachi: Prevalence, knowledge and attitudes","volume":"58","author":"Zafar","year":"2008","journal-title":"JPMA J Pak Med Assoc"},{"key":"R14-20241104","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"51","DOI":"10.3390\/pharmacy5030051","article-title":"Prevalence of self-medication among students of pharmacy and medicine colleges of a public sector university in Dammam City, Saudi Arabia","volume":"5","author":"Albusalih","year":"2017","journal-title":"Pharmacy"},{"key":"R15-20241104","first-page":"1","article-title":"Self-medication pattern among social science university students in Northwest Ethiopia","author":"Gelayee","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Pharm 2017"},{"key":"R16-20241104","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2133","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(15)00755-2","article-title":"Costs, affordability, and feasibility of an essential package of cancer control interventions in low-income and middle-income countries: Key messages from Disease Control Priorities, 3rd edition","volume":"387","author":"Gelband","year":"2016","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"R17-20241104","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"243","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2393-14-243","article-title":"Cost-effectiveness of strategies to improve the utilization and provision of maternal and newborn health care in low-income and lower-middle-income countries: A systematic review","volume":"14","author":"Mangham-Jefferies","year":"2014","journal-title":"BMC Pregnancy Childbirth"},{"key":"R18-20241104","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"862301","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2022.862301","article-title":"Prevalence, predictors and point of view toward self-medication among residents of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study","volume":"10","author":"Mannasaheb","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"R19-20241104","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e0194122","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0194122","article-title":"Prevalence and determinants of self-medication practice among selected households in Addis Ababa community","volume":"13","author":"Shafie","year":"2018","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"R20-20241104","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"92","DOI":"10.1186\/s42269-020-00351-7","article-title":"Prevalence and associated risk factors of self-medication among patients attending El-Mahsama family practice center, Ismailia, Egypt","volume":"44","author":"Zeid","year":"2020","journal-title":"Bull Natl Res Cent"},{"key":"R21-20241104","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"381","DOI":"10.15537\/smj.2017.4.18753","article-title":"Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its associated factors in three regions of Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study","volume":"38","author":"Kaddam","year":"2017","journal-title":"Saudi Med J"},{"key":"R22-20241104","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"123","DOI":"10.1007\/s11657-022-01164-z","article-title":"Bone mass in Saudi women aged 20\u201340 years: The association with obesity and vitamin D deficiency","volume":"17","author":"Albaik","year":"2022","journal-title":"Arch Osteoporos"},{"key":"R23-20241104","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2961","DOI":"10.2147\/IJGM.S418811","article-title":"Prevalence and associated factors of vitamin D deficiency in high altitude region in Saudi Arabia: Three-year retrospective study","volume":"16","author":"Abdelsalam","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int J Gen Med"},{"key":"R24-20241104","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e27311","DOI":"10.1097\/MD.0000000000027311","article-title":"The relationship between smartphone use and dry eye disease: A systematic review with a narrative synthesis","volume":"100","author":"Al-Marri","year":"2021","journal-title":"Medicine (Baltimore)"},{"key":"R25-20241104","first-page":"e31400","article-title":"The prevalence of dry eye disease and related factors among adult patients attending primary healthcare centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia","volume":"14","author":"AlMarshedi","year":"2022","journal-title":"Cureus"}],"container-title":["Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ovid.com\/10.4103\/jfmpc.jfmpc_308_24","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T15:43:36Z","timestamp":1787067816000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ovid.com\/10.4103\/jfmpc.jfmpc_308_24"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,9]]},"references-count":24,"journal-issue":{"issue":"9","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2024]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4103\/jfmpc.jfmpc_308_24","relation":{},"ISSN":["2249-4863","2278-7135"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2249-4863","type":"print"},{"value":"2278-7135","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,9]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2024-02-26","name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2024-04-03","name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}]}}