Magnitude and Factors Associated with Self-Medication Practices among University Students: The Case of Arsi University, College of Health Science, Asella, Ethiopia: Cross-Sectional Survey Based Study

Background: Self-medication is the selection and use of medicines by individuals to treat self-recognized illnesses or symptoms without any medical supervision. It resulted in wastage of resources, increases in resistance of pathogens, and causes health hazards such as adverse drug reactions, prolonged suffering and drug dependence. Despite this fact, studies on the subject matter indicated that health science students continued to practice & recommend self-medication to society. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of self-medication among students of Arsi University College of Health Science and investigate factors associated with it. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study with three months illness recall was conducted in Arsi University College of Health Science students from January to February 2015. Data were collected randomly from each department using self-administered questionnaires. Data entry was made using Epi-Info version 3.5. 2 and analysis was done using SPSS IBM version 20. Results: From a total of 575 questionnaires distributed, 548 questionnaires with a response rate of 95.30% were collected back assessed as complete, 70.8% (388/575) reported at least one episode of an illness during three months prior to the day of the questionnaire, and 77.10% (299/388) of them accessed to and practiced self-medication during the study period. Students reported for the study period commonly perceived illnesses such as headache 169 (46.50%), gastrointestinal disease 102 (34.10%) and respiratory tract infection 95 (31.80%) accessed mainly antibiotics 179 (59.90%) and analgesics 143 (47.80%) mostly from drug retail outlets 184 (61.50%). The odds of being female university student was 2 fold accessed self-medication than their counter part males with Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) 1.84 with 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.01 - 3.34, p = 0.046. With regards to field of studies, students of midwifery were 3 folds accessed self-medication than their counter part students of medicine (AOR 2.78; 95%CI = 1.03, 7.39, p = 0.043). Those students who accepted self-medication for low income segment of the population 2 folds accessed self-medication than their counter part who disagree (AOR 1.76; 95%CI = 1.02, 3.06, p = 0.04). The major reasons indicated for self-medication by respondents were perceived mildness of their illness 132 (44.1%), poor quality of routine health care services 81 (27.1%) and it saves their time 60 (20.3%). Most respondents had a positive attitude towards practicing self-medication as especially, they believed a prospective health professionals & low income segments of the populations have a right to practice self-medication (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Significant numbers of students were self-medicated in this study with antibiotics as major accessed drugs. Being female was significantly associated with self-medication. Conducting tailored behavioral change communication by the health authorities, universities and other stakeholders is recommended.