Introduction:

Self-medication has become a common practice nowadays, not only in young people but in adults whom take this decision without analyzing the possible risks this implies.

Objective:

To determine characteristics of the student population associated with self-medication in the context of a university in Costa Rica in 2017.

Methods:

A cross-sectional, descriptive, observational study was conducted using surveys performed to 280 university students in Costa Rica, in which there were determined factors like: age, sex, major, academic level, whether self-medicated or not, since when they are self-medicated, and the conditions in which a greater degree of self-medication is shown, and the treatment.

Results:

280 surveys were carried out, and 277 of those were analyzed giving a self-medication prevalence of 56.68%. The average age of the people surveyed was 21.8 years. In addition, it was found that the majority of students who self-medicate were from the Faculty of Health Sciences representing a 61.40%; and that 129 students (82.7%) self-medicated before enrolling in the university.

Conclusion:

The prevalence of self-medication is high in the young university population. The highest values are shown in women. There are not too different behaviors in this practice before and after of enrolling in university. In this regard, education is necessary for them to assume safe and adequate ways of self-medication.

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