Self-Medication for Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (URTIs) Among Clinical Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices.
Background: Self-medication, defined as the use of medicines without prior professional consultation, is a widespread public health concern. When practiced inappropriately, particularly through the misuse of antibiotics, it contributes to adverse drug reactions and the growing threat of antimicrobia...
| Published in: | Inquiry (00469580) Vol. 63; pp. 1 - 13 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
| Format: | research tables/charts Journal Article |
| Published: |
Sage Publications Inc.
6/11/2026
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=194543626&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 194543626 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 00469580 INQ jtl: Inquiry (00469580) issn: 00469580 maglogo: Y pubinfo: dt: 6/11/2026 vid: 63 pid: 344 pub: Sage Publications Inc. place: Thousand Oaks, California artinfo: ui: 194543626 194543626 194543626 10.1177/00469580261452843 194543626 ppf: 1 ppct: 12 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: P tig: atl: Self-Medication for Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (URTIs) Among Clinical Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices. aug: au: Shakya, Abishesh Bhatta, Rishi Khadgi, Ashish Rauniyar, Ayush Shrestha, Sandeep Panta, Prem Prasad Shrestha, Sunil affil: Department of ENT–HNS, KIST Medical College and Teaching Hospital (KISTMCTH), Imadol, Lalitpur, Nepal sug: subj: Respiratory Tract Infections Drug Therapy Self Medication Evaluation Student Knowledge Evaluation Student Attitudes Evaluation Health Behavior Evaluation Students, Medical Psychosocial Factors Human Cross Sectional Studies Academic Medical Centers Nepal Simple Random Sample Adult Male Female Structured Questionnaires Data Analysis Software Descriptive Statistics Chi Square Test Pearson's Correlation Coefficient Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient Family Friendship Pharmacy, Retail Prescriptions, Drug Acetaminophen Therapeutic Use Histamine Antagonists Therapeutic Use Antibiotics Therapeutic Use Viruses Bacteria Risk Assessment Drug Resistance, Microbial Reading Pamphlets Interns and Residents Adult: 19-44 years Male Female ab: Background: Self-medication, defined as the use of medicines without prior professional consultation, is a widespread public health concern. When practiced inappropriately, particularly through the misuse of antibiotics, it contributes to adverse drug reactions and the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Medical students represent a population of particular interest, as their clinical knowledge may predispose them to self-treat conditions such as upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs), which are predominantly viral and self-limiting. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of self-medication for URTIs and to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of clinical-phase medical students toward this behavior. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 165 clinical-phase MBBS students, including third-, fourth-, and fifth-year students and interns, selected by simple random sampling. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire adapted from World Health Organization guidelines, covering sociodemographic characteristics and knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding self-medication for URTIs. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25 and included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and correlation analyses, with statistical significance defined as p < 0.05. Results: The mean age of participants was 23.5 ± 2.25 years, with a nearly equal gender distribution. Three-quarters of students (74.5%) reported having self-medicated for URTIs, with community pharmacies serving as the primary source of medicines (71.5%). Only 21.2% of participants demonstrated good knowledge, while 54.5% showed moderate knowledge. Although 79.4% recognized the link between antibiotic misuse and AMR, 27.9% still believed antibiotics to be effective against viral URTIs, and 21.2% admitted to not completing prescribed antibiotic courses. Despite the majority (77.6%) holding negative attitudes toward self-medication in principle, unsafe practices remained prevalent. The year of study was significantly associated with both knowledge level and self-medication practices (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Self-medication for URTIs is highly prevalent among clinical-phase medical students, revealing a concerning disconnect between knowledge, attitudes, and actual clinical behavior. Addressing this gap will require reinforcing antimicrobial stewardship within medical curricula, strengthening clinical supervision, and implementing stricter regulation of over-the-counter antibiotic availability, all of which are essential steps toward promoting rational drug use and mitigating the escalation of antimicrobial resistance. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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