Analgesic Self-Medication and Safety Knowledge Among Adults in the United Arab Emirates: A Cross-Sectional Online Survey

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Analgesic self-medication is common worldwide, yet unsupervised use carries hepatic, gastrointestinal, and renal risks when safety knowledge is incomplete, and community data from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are limited. This study described lifetime self-reported analgesic self-medication, its sociodemographic correlates, and knowledge of paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) safety in an online convenience sample of adults in the UAE. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey (April–October 2024) used convenience sampling and a self-administered English/Arabic questionnaire. Only self-medicators completed a study-specific five-item safety knowledge index. Analyses included chi-square, Mann–Whitney U and exploratory regression. Results: Of 400 participants (65.5% female), 332 (83.0%) reported lifetime self-medication with analgesics, mostly paracetamol (93.7%) and ibuprofen (58.7%). Among self-medicators, mean knowledge was 3.12/5: hepatotoxicity (71.1%) and gastrointestinal risk (70.2%) were widely recognized, whereas renal risk (56.0%) and paracetamol allergy (47.3%) were less so; 14.8% reported double dosing when symptoms persisted. After adjustment, female sex was associated with self-medication (OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.12–3.86) in a marginally significant model, and female sex (B = 0.55, 95% CI 0.15–0.95) and younger age (B = −0.027 per year, 95% CI −0.041 to −0.012) were associated with higher knowledge scores. Conclusions: In this online convenience sample, safety knowledge (as measured by a brief study-specific index) was selective rather than uniformly limited. Education addressing allergic and renal risks, not exceeding recommended doses, and what to do when a first dose fails may be useful but requires evaluation in intervention studies.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Healthcare, 2026 · DOI ↗