Prevalence of Self-Medication Practices Among Medical and Health Sciences Students at University of Science and Technology: A Cross-Sectional Study in Aden, Yemen

Abstract

Background: Self-medication is common among health sciences students because medicines are readily accessible and students have increasing medical knowledge. Unsupervised medication use may contribute to adverse drug effects, delayed diagnosis, inappropriate dosing, and antimicrobial resistance. Objective: To determine the prevalence of self-medication and its associated factors among medical and health sciences students at the University of Science and Technology (UST), Aden, Yemen. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2025 among 303 randomly selected students from Human Medicine, Pharmacy, Nutrition, and Radiology programs at UST. Data were collected using a structured paper-based questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 22. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: Overall, 253 of 303 students (83.5%) reported self-medication. Analgesics were the most frequently reported medication category. Minor illnesses such as mild fever, headache, and mild pain were the most commonly reported reason for self-medication (67%). Gender was not significantly associated with self-medication (p = 0.063), whereas academic program was significantly associated with self-medication practice (p = 0.008). Conclusion: Self-medication was common among UST health sciences students, particularly among students in medicine and pharmacy programs. Medication-safety education and targeted awareness activities are warranted to promote more appropriate medicine use.