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ERIC Number: EJ790629
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 14
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0744-8481
EISSN: N/A
Over-the-Counter Medication and Herbal or Dietary Supplement Use in College: Dose Frequency and Relationship to Self-Reported Distress
Stasio, Michael J.; Curry, Kim; Sutton-Skinner, Kelly M.; Glassman, Destinee M.
Journal of American College Health, v56 n5 p535-548 Mar-Apr 2008
Objective: 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. Participants and Methods: The authors administered surveys to college students (N = 201) to assess the frequency of use in the past week. Results: 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. Conclusions: 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. (Contains 5 tables.)
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A