Self-Reported Medication Use among Adolescents in Kuwait

Abstract

Objective: The objectives of this study were to describe and examine the pattern of medication use, including age and gender differences among adolescents in Kuwait, and to establish the sources of information on medicines in this age group. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 1,110 male and female students (14–21 years) from 10 randomly selected public schools in Kuwait was conducted.The prevalence of self-medication was estimated.Results: The prevalence of self-medication among the high school students was 92%. The prevalence increased by age from 87% among 14-year-olds to 95% among 18-year-olds. Sixty-five percent of medicines used were for pain relief, 54% for respiratory conditions, 39% for allergic conditions, and 37% for dermatological conditions. Twenty-two percent of medicines were nutritional supplements and vitamins, 21% gastrointestinal products, 17% antidandruff products, 15% hair products, 13% for migraine while 8% were for athlete’s foot. Pain relief, respiratory, dermatologic and hair products were more prevalent in female adolescents than in male while antidandruff and athlete’s foot preparations were used more by male adolescents. The most common sources of information on medicines were parents.Conclusion:The prevalence of self-medication among adolescents in Kuwait is high. Self-medication tended to increase with age and differed between male and female students. Few students consulted pharmacists for information on drugs. There is need to promote the image of the pharmacist in Kuwait as a provider of medication information.

Self-medication among medical student in King Abdul-Aziz University

“…19,20 We believe it is due to the frequent pain associated with menstrual cycle. On the other hand we found that there is no statistical significant difference between gender and other drugs used which agrees with study of An-Najah National University palatine.…”

Prevalence and Predictors of Self-Medication with Antibiotics for Children in Makkah, Saudi Arabia

“…The prevalence has been announced to be approximately 3% in Europe [8]. Conversely, there is an enormous increase in Asia, with the values around 4-75%, which may reach 80.4%in college students [9] or even 92% in Kuwait [10].…”

A Comparative Assessment of Self-Medication Between First And Second Year Medical Students of A Teaching Hospital In Dakshina Kannada, South India

“…Second year students practice self-medication more often. Previous Studies on self-medication have reported various prevalence figures, ranging from 26.2% [11] to as high as 92% [14]. The commonest illnesses that led to self-medication in this study were usually self-limiting "minor illnesses" that have been widely reported in studies on self-medication as the most common indications [2,10].…”