Introduction: Self-medication is a major public health challenge that leads to adverse drug reactions, antibiotic resistance, and increased healthcare costs. This study aimed to determine the frequency and identify factors associated with self-medication.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2021 among 270 women aged 15 years and older attending 42 health centers and posts under the South Tehran Health Center (Districts 11, 16, and 17). Systematic random sampling was employed, and data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire. Content validity was confirmed using the Content Validity Index (CVI), and reliability was established through Cronbach’s alpha and test-retest methods. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 25 with chi-square and Pearson correlation coefficient tests.
Results: The prevalence of self-medication over the past two months was 57.0% for the participants themselves and 44.4% (with 95% confidence interval) for their family members. The most common reasons for self-medication included previous experience with the illness, constant availability of medications at home, and perceiving the illness as unimportant 82.1%, 50.2%, 47.2%, respectively. The most frequent conditions leading to self-medication were the common cold (64.8%) and headache (61.8%), and the most commonly used medications were amoxicillin (14.1%) and acetaminophen (10.7%). Statistical analysis revealed significant associations between self-medication and literacy level, marital status, age at marriage, number of children, household economic status, and stress level.
Conclusion: Self-medication is highly prevalent among the studied women and is influenced by socio-economic and psychological factors. Targeted educational programs, stricter regulation of non-prescription drug sales, and improved access to affordable medical services are key strategies to mitigate this practice.