1.
1 Participants and Demographics
In this study, a total of 728 responses were collected through a questionnaire. After excluding
one incomplete response, the analysis was conducted on the remaining 727 responses. The
gender distribution among the participants revealed that 75.1% were female (n = 546) and 24.9%
were male (n = 181). The age distribution indicated that the highest percentage (39.9%) belonged
to the 25-year-old age group (n = 290), while the group aged 71 years and above constituted the
smallest proportion (1.5%; n = 11).
Regarding educational attainment, 39.0% of the participants had completed or were pursuing
university-level education (n = 284), whereas only 3.1% had no educational qualifications (n =
23). Furthermore, 43.2% of the respondents were employed at the time of completing the
questionnaire. A significant portion (60.8%) of the participants reported their economic status as
low to medium. The majority of the respondents (74.5%, n = 542) resided in urban areas.
1.2 Health and Medication Usage
The health status and medication usage among the sample population revealed that 59.0% (n =
429) reported no underlying conditions or diseases, while 32.4% (n = 236) reported chronic
conditions lasting over six months, and 8.5% (n = 62) reported acute conditions lasting less than
six months. Women exhibited higher rates of both acute and chronic conditions compared to men
(9.0% vs. 7.2%, and 34.1% vs. 27.6%, respectively), though these differences were not
statistically significant (p = 0.148). Chronic conditions were more prevalent among older
individuals (71 years and above), retirees, and those residing in rural areas.Moreover, women
tended to consume more medication than men (57.1% vs. 46.4%), particularly influenced by
factors such as age (56-70 years: 83.3%), lack of formal education (69.6%), and retirement status
(84.4%). Among medication users, 61.6% (n = 244) adhered to regular doctor-prescribed
regimens, while 28.4% (n = 152) used medication on an as-needed basis. Over the past six
months, 56.5% (n = 411) reported sporadic medication use, 35.7% (n = 260) adhered to a regular
schedule, and 7.7% (n = 56) did not take any medication. Sporadic use was more common
among men, younger adults (26-40 years), individuals with postgraduate education, those with
lower economic status, students, and urban residents, while regular medication consumption was
more prevalent among women, older adults (56-70 years), those with non-formal education,
individuals with higher economic status, retirees, and rural residents. Significant differences
between different categories of each variable were observed (p < 0.05).
1.3 Over-the-Counter (OTC) Consumption
Regarding over-the-counter (OTC) drug consumption, there were notable variations across
different age groups, with consumption decreasing as age increased. Specifically, 85.5% (n =
248) of individuals under 25 years old reported consuming or having consumed OTC drugs,
while this percentage decreased to 36.4% (n = 4) among those over 71 years old. Furthermore,
individuals with graduate degrees exhibited lower OTC drug consumption (n = 70; 65.4%)
compared to those with postgraduate degrees (n = 39; 86.7%). Significant differences were also
observed based on employment status, with retired individuals indicating lower OTC drug
consumption (n = 19; 59.4%). Notably, students represented one of the groups with the highest
OTC drug consumption, with 85.7% (n = 222) reporting usage.
Moreover, a considerable portion of respondents (72.6%; n = 528) stated that they had purchased
OTC drugs advertised on television.
1.4 Types of OTC Drugs Used
The analysis of the type of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs consumed revealed that analgesics
were the most commonly used (n = 357; 49.1%), while antidepressants constituted the least
commonly consumed OTC drugs (n = 3; 0.4%) (see Figure 1). Despite not being traditionally
classified as OTC drugs, antidepressants were included in this analysis due to their availability
from online "pharmacies" and occasional purchase from conventional pharmacies.
Regarding gender differences, women tended to consume more analgesics and cough medicine
compared to men (51.8% vs. 40.9%, and 16.7% vs. 14.4%, respectively). Conversely, men
exhibited higher consumption rates in other drug categories, particularly in the "other" group,
indicating a difference of 7.9%. Age-wise, younger individuals (25 years old) showed greater
consumption of analgesics, while antihistamines, gastroprotection, and "other" drugs were more
commonly consumed with increasing age. Furthermore, individuals without academic degrees
demonstrated higher consumption of analgesics (69.6%) compared to the rest of the population.
Conversely, those with higher education levels (postgraduates) exhibited increased consumption
of medicines for the common cold (24.4%) and antihistamines (8.9%). Employment status also
played a role, with students showing a higher prevalence of analgesic consumption (55.6%).
Additionally, socioeconomic status significantly influenced the consumption of OTC drugs, with
notable associations observed between an individual's socioeconomic status and their
consumption of antibiotics, antidepressants, common cold drugs, and antihistamines.
1.5 Self-Medication Practices
Inquiries regarding the consumption of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and self-medication
practices were included in the questionnaire. When participants were asked about their response
to experiencing a headache, the majority (66.2%; n = 481) reported self-medicating with an
analgesic, while 29.7% (n = 216) opted to abstain from medication and waited for the symptoms
to resolve spontaneously. A smaller proportion (4.1%) sought advice from friends or family
(1.1%; n = 8) or consulted a healthcare professional such as a doctor or pharmacist (3.0%; n =
22).
Furthermore, a noteworthy finding was that 14.7% (n = 107) of respondents indicated taking
medication preemptively, before experiencing any symptoms, as a preventive measure.
1.6 Information Seeking Behavior
Among the surveyed individuals, a significant portion (58.5%; n = 425) reported utilizing the
internet to seek information about medication. Specifically, when experiencing a headache, a
vast majority (89.1%; n = 648) indicated searching for information to understand the cause
and/or treatment.
Moreover, when encountering uncertainties about a medication, 49.7% (n = 361) referenced the
package leaflet, followed by 35.9% (n = 261) who consulted a healthcare professional or
pharmacist, 10.0% (n = 73) who sought information online, and 4.4% (n = 32) who sought
advice from family members or friends. Given the prevalence of individuals consulting package
leaflets, respondents were asked if they knew how to navigate the leaflet for information and if
they were aware of warning symbols. A majority (77.3%; n = 562) confirmed their familiarity
with accessing information in the package leaflet.
