determinants of self-medication among women of reproductive age

Background: self-medication is a potential risk for women of reproductive age, which can lead to many complications. the purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and determinants of self-medication prevention behaviors (smpb) in women of reproductive age based on the health belief model (hbm). methods: this cross-sectional study was conducted among 336 individuals randomly selected from those who visited comprehensive health centers in the salas-e babajani county, kermanshah, in western iran in 2021. women filled out a self-report questionnaire. the data were analyzed by spss-16 software using pearson correlation and linear regression tests. results: the average age of women was 33.24±7.65 years, and their age range was 15–49 years. further, 59.2% and 100% of participants had used prescription-only (pom) and over-the-counter (otc) medications in the past three months, respectively. additionally, 18.7% reported a history of smoking. age (beta=0.109 and p=0.040), susceptibility (beta=0.179 and p=0.019), and cues to action (beta=0.440 and p<0.001) were all found to be predictors of smpb. the hbm variables accounted for 47% of the variation in the outcome measure of the smpb. conclusion: the prevalence of self-medication was high. it seems that the development and implementation of perceived susceptibility promotion programs toward the complications of self-medication in women of reproductive age can lead to useful findings in the prevention of self-medication. in addition, health educators should prioritize identifying the key cues to actions that motivate individuals to avoid self-medication. valuable recommendations from doctors, pharmacists, healthcare professionals, and environmental advertisements can also provide useful insights into self-medication prevention in women of reproductive age.