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. 2024 Oct 1;86(11):6507-6513.
doi: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000002605. eCollection 2024 Nov.

Self-diagnosis and self-medication based on internet search among Non-Medical University students of Karachi

Adarsh Raja  1 , Shafin Bin Amin  1 , Bazil Azeem  1 , Sandesh Raja  2 , Yusra Aftab  1 , Maham Rafi  1 , Fnu Abheman  1 , Kumar Sukhani  1 , Piyasi Mal  1 , Noor Ul-Ain  1 , Fazal Manan  1 , Rabbia Aqeel  1 , Hamza Rahat  1 , Pervaiz Ali  1 , Naresh Kumar  1 , Kiran Khan  3 , Varsha Sharma  4
Affiliations

Self-diagnosis and self-medication based on internet search among Non-Medical University students of Karachi

Adarsh Raja et al. Ann Med Surg (Lond). .

Abstract

Background: For a decade, the topic of self-diagnosis and self-medication has gained significant attention due to the widespread availability of information on the internet and over-the-counter medication. This research explores the rational considerations behind individuals' self-diagnosis and self-medication practices. Our main objective is to find out the frequency of self-diagnosis and self-medication in the general population and its associated risks and benefits.

Methods: A cross-sectional community-based prospective study was conducted over 7 months and included 160 students from various nonmedical universities in Karachi. A questionnaire regarding baseline characteristics, self-medication, and self-diagnosis was made, and the data was collected from the participants and then analyzed using SPSS statistical software.

Results: One-fifth of the participants used the method of diagnosing themselves regularly, whereas 9% of the involved population demonstrated medicating themselves very often. However, most of the population had self-diagnosed (50.6) or self-medicated (61.9) sometimes. The internet was the primary source of searching (75%), and home remedies were the preferred medications (71.7%). The two primary reasons for this were the scarcity of time and resources.

Conclusion: Overall, our study points out the significance of self-medication and self-diagnosis among different nonmedical students of Karachi. Teaching people about medicines, enforcing strong prescription policies, and providing medical facilities are vital steps toward preventing this problem. The role of doctors and medical students is significant; therefore, detailed doctor-patient communication needs to be encouraged.

Keywords: internet; on-medical universities; self-diagnosis; self-medication.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.Sponsorships or competing interests that may be relevant to content are disclosed at the end of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Histogram representing the age of participants.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Bar graph representing the sex of the participants.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The educational qualification of the participants.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Bar graph representing the average amount of time spent on the internet by the participants.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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