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Digital Platform as a Source for Self-Medication: The Influence of Educational Factors

1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3★★ Corresponding author

  1. 1Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, AIMST University, Bedong, Kedah, MALAYSIA.
  2. 2Unit of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, AIMST University, Bedong, Kedah, MALAYSIA.
  3. 3Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kuala Lumpur Royal College of Medicine Perak (UniKL RCMP), Jalan Greentown, Ipoh, MALAYSIA.

CORRESPONDENCE

Theingi Maung Maung

Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kuala Lumpur Royal College of Medicine Perak (UniKL RCMP), Jalan Greentown, Ipoh, MALAYSIA.

theingi.maung@unikl.edu.my

Received: 07-03-2025; Revised: 14-05-2025; Accepted: 28-07-2025.

Volume 17, Issue 3 · pp. 697-702 · 2025 · DOI: 10.5530/jyp.20250193

ABSTRACT

Background: The growing use of digital platforms has transformed health information access and contributed to the global trend of self-medication. When making healthcare decisions, people in Malaysia, where internet usage is exceptionally high, frequently turn to online resources. This study investigates how self-medication behaviours motivated by information from digital platforms and social media are influenced by educational background.Materials and Methods: From January to May 2025, 324 Malaysian people participated in a cross-sectional study that used a structured, self-administered online questionnaire disseminated over social media. Information was gathered about social media use, self-medication behaviours, and demographic traits. SPSS was used to conduct statistical studies, such as ANOVA, logistic regression, and chi-square testing.Results: Google was the most popular source of health information among the respondents, who used digital platforms in 79.6% of cases. Those with college degrees were substantially more likely than those with less education to self-medicate via Internet content (p=0.005, OR=0.302). Those with less education were more likely to take drugs to control their weight and skin conditions. Furthermore, 13% reported negative side effects from self-medication.Conclusion: Education significantly influences self-medication behaviour based on digital health information. While those with higher education engage more in online-based self-care, individuals with lower education levels are more prone to potentially unsafe practices. Enhancing digital health literacy is crucial for promoting safe self-medication across all educational backgrounds.

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    Vijayan, L. S., Khang, Y. Y., Raja, S., Nair, S., George, S., Kumari, U., Aye, W. M., & Maung, T. M. (2025). Digital Platform as a Source for Self-Medication: The Influence of Educational Factors. Journal of Young Pharmacists, 17(3), 697-702. https://doi.org/10.5530/jyp.20250193

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    © 2025 Author(s)

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as the author is credited and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms. CC BY-NC-SA 4.0