Knowledge attitude and convenience on self-medication practices among university students in Bangladesh exploration using structural equation modeling approach

• Published in: Scientific reports 2024-05, Vol.14 (1), p.10837-10837, Article 10837
• Main Authors: Tohan, Mortuja Mahamud, Ahmed, Faysal, Juie, Israt Jahan, Kabir, Anamul, Howlader, Md. Hasan, Rahman, Md. Ashfikur
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 692/308; 692/499; 692/700; Adolescent; Adult; Attitudes; Bangladesh; Cross-Sectional Studies; Drugs; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Knowledge; Latent Class Analysis; Male; multidisciplinary; Practice; Public health; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Self Medication - statistics & numerical data; Self-medication; Side effects; Structural equation modeling; Students; Students - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Universities; University students; Variance analysis; Young Adult
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60931-9

Self-medication is a prevalent practice among university students globally and is a significant public health concern. However, previous research has been limited in scope, focusing primarily on adolescents or the general public, leaving a gap in understanding the causal relationships associated with self-medication; thus, this study aimed to investigate the factors influencing self-medication practices among university students in Bangladesh by developing a comprehensive causal model. Data from 417 students across five public universities were collected using the simple random walk technique by a team of 10 members. The study utilized constructs of knowledge, attitude, and convenience related to self-medication as independent variables, while self-medication practice as the dependent variable. One-way ANOVA and structural equation modeling (SEM) were employed to develop a causal model of self-medication practice among university students in Bangladesh. The findings revealed that students with better medication knowledge and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were more likely to practice self-medication. A positive attitude towards self-medication and ADRs was also significantly associated with higher self-medication practice scores. Additionally, those who perceived self-medication as convenient and prescribed medication as inconvenient had higher self-medication practice scores. The attitude towards self-medication had the most substantial negative effect on self-medication practice, followed by the inconvenience of prescribed medication and the convenience of self-medication. The model explained 87% of the variance in self-medication practice, indicating a good fit for the data. University students in Bangladesh possess intermediate knowledge of medication and primary knowledge of ADRs. They exhibit a positive attitude towards self-medication and ADRs. Physical convenience favors self-medication, while the inconvenience of prescribed medication contributes to its lower preference. Policymakers should focus on evidence-based guidelines to reduce the extent of unnecessary self-medication practice and to enhance the quantity and accessibility of prescribed medications to address the issue effectively.