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Over-the-Counter Medication and Herbal or Dietary Supplement Use in College: Dose Frequency and Relationship to Self-Reported Distress

2008; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 56; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3200/jach.56.5.535-548

1940-3208

Michael J. Stasio, Kim Curry, Kelly M. Sutton‐Skinner, Destinee M. Glassman,

Pharmacology and Obesity Treatment

A growing number of researchers have examined the use of over-the-counter (OTC) medications and herbal or dietary supplements among college students. There is concern about the efficacy and safety of these products, particularly because students appear to use them at a higher rate than does the general public.The authors administered surveys to college students (N = 201) to assess the frequency of use in the past week.A substantial percentage reported using OTC medications (74.1%), herbal or dietary supplements (70.6%), or both concurrently (61.2%). Dose frequency of OTC medications was the best predictor of self-reported emotional distress in the past week. Higher doses of products containing pseudoephedrine or valerian were associated with self-reported anxiety.These data further reflect an increasing trend toward self-medication among college students. Investigators must conduct reliability and validity studies to evaluate the clinical utility of the measurement tool developed in this study.