Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-8-2025
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
School of Pharmacy
First Advisor
Erin Holmes
Second Advisor
Marie Barnard
Third Advisor
Andrew Yockey
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
Background
This study looks at the trends in over-the-counter medication usage and self-efficacy among undergraduate college students in the United States. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications serve as the most easily accessible and commonly purchased medications and can be used as a basis to determine this demographic’s attitudes and behaviors towards self-medication. In addition, undergraduates represent a diverse population for analyzing differences among demographic groups.
Methods
A Qualtrics survey was sent out to undergraduates across the US via a panel, and the team received 403 useable responses. As part of a larger study, the survey presented participants with four different scenarios at a pharmacy to gauge how two different environmental variables would affect their willingness to speak to a pharmacist about an OTC cold medication. Participants also answered an 11 question Decisional Self-Efficacy (DSE) survey and an open response question for what medication they typically purchase when they have a cold. These latter variables were evaluated in this study.
Results
Pain relief medications such as acetaminophen, naproxen, and ibuprofen were the most popular choice of OTC medications for a cold at 31.78 percent of responses including at least one of these medications. The only demographic with a statistically significant difference in DSE were health-related majors with a 0.20467 higher average score on a 4-point scale. Students with a higher DSE were also more likely to pick an FDA-indicated cold medication compared to students with a lower DSE score.
Conclusion
The correlation between higher DSE and increased medication accuracy in selecting appropriate medications for a cold aligns with the health-belief model showing self-efficacy as the motivation and confidence in a patient to make informed healthcare decisions. This finding and health majors having higher average DSE indicates that educating students and patients on healthcare topics can improve their confidence and understanding leading to better health outcomes.
Recommended Citation
Goodwin, Ray, "Over-The-Counter Cold Medication Usage Self-Efficacy Among Undergraduate Students in the United States" (2025). Honors Theses. 3194.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3194
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