Academic Discipline, Self-Medication, and Medication-Related Behaviors in Premenstrual Symptom Management Among Female University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.
- 1Department of Medical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Çukurova University, Sarıçam, 01250 Adana, Türkiye.
- 2Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Adana Alparslan Türkeş Science and Technology University, Sarıçam, 01250 Adana, Türkiye.
- 3Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Çukurova University, Sarıçam, 01250 Adana, Türkiye.
Abstract
Background
Premenstrual symptoms are common among young women and may lead to repeated self-management and medication use. However, medication-related behaviors may vary across academic disciplines, and it remains unclear whether favorable medication-safety attitudes are reflected consistently in everyday behavior.Methods
This cross-sectional study evaluated medication-related, self-care, complementary, and healthcare-seeking behaviors among female undergraduate students reporting premenstrual symptoms at Çukurova University, Türkiye, between January and June 2024. Data from 479 students across five faculties were collected using a 53-item, study-specific questionnaire covering sociodemographic characteristics, symptom-management practices, healthcare-seeking behavior, medication use, self-medication, complementary and herbal product use, and medication-related attitudes. Associations between categorical variables were examined using Pearson's chi-square test, with Cramer's V reported as a measure of effect size.Results
Among participants, 88.1% reported regular menstrual cycles, and 30.5% reported previous education on premenstrual symptom management. Family members or friends were the most frequently reported source of advice (47.4%), followed by physicians (27.6%). Analgesics were commonly used (71.0%), 39.9% reported using medications already available at home, and 78.4% of medical students agreed that they used analgesics without physician recommendation. Herbal or aromatherapy-based approaches were reported by 29.9% of participants. Faculty-level differences were observed in medication-related behaviors, attitudes toward complementary approaches, and information-seeking patterns.Conclusions
Medical students reported more cautious attitudes toward herbal safety and informal information sources, although self-medication-related behaviors remained common. These findings support university-based health promotion strategies that emphasize practical medication-safety skills, appropriate healthcare seeking, evidence-based self-care, responsible use of complementary products, and critical evaluation of digital health information.
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BibTeX
@article{kıroglu2026academic,
title = {{Academic Discipline, Self-Medication, and Medication-Related Behaviors in Premenstrual Symptom Management Among Female University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.}},
author = {Olcay Kıroğlu and Havanur Güllü and Rozelin Aydın and İlker Ünal},
journal = {Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/healthcare14203465},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42940510},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Academic Discipline, Self-Medication, and Medication-Related Behaviors in Premenstrual Symptom Management Among Female University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.
AU - Olcay Kıroğlu
AU - Havanur Güllü
AU - Rozelin Aydın
AU - İlker Ünal
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/15
JO - Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
DO - 10.3390/healthcare14203465
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42940510
AB - Background Premenstrual symptoms are common among young women and may lead to repeated self-management and medication use. However, medication-related behaviors may vary across academic disciplines, and it remains unclear whether favorable medication-safety attitudes are reflected consistently in everyday behavior.Methods This cross-sectional study evaluated medication-related, self-care, complementary, and healthcare-seeking behaviors among female undergraduate students reporting premenstrual symptoms at Çukurova University, Türkiye, between January and June 2024. Data from 479 students across five faculties were collected using a 53-item, study-specific questionnaire covering sociodemographic characteristics, symptom-management practices, healthcare-seeking behavior, medication use, self-medication, complementary and herbal product use, and medication-related attitudes. Associations between categorical variables were examined using Pearson's chi-square test, with Cramer's V reported as a measure of effect size.Results Among participants, 88.1% reported regular menstrual cycles, and 30.5% reported previous education on premenstrual symptom management. Family members or friends were the most frequently reported source of advice (47.4%), followed by physicians (27.6%). Analgesics were commonly used (71.0%), 39.9% reported using medications already available at home, and 78.4% of medical students agreed that they used analgesics without physician recommendation. Herbal or aromatherapy-based approaches were reported by 29.9% of participants. Faculty-level differences were observed in medication-related behaviors, attitudes toward complementary approaches, and information-seeking patterns.Conclusions Medical students reported more cautious attitudes toward herbal safety and informal information sources, although self-medication-related behaviors remained common. These findings support university-based health promotion strategies that emphasize practical medication-safety skills, appropriate healthcare seeking, evidence-based self-care, responsible use of complementary products, and critical evaluation of digital health information.
SN - 2227-9032
ER -