Background: This study aims to examine the prevalence and predictors associated with self-medication, and related consequences in Wuhan, China. Methods: Two-hundred-sixty residents were interviewed from randomly selected four districts of Wuhan, China. A modified version of Anderson’s health behavioral model was used in the survey to collect information of self-medication behavior. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to measure correlates of the prevalence of self-medication. Results: Nearly half of the respondents would select self-medication, and 39.1% would see a doctor if they felt sick. The most common self-medicated illnesses were cold and cough, cardiovascular disease and gastrointestinal disease. The main reasons for self-medication were that the illness was not severe (enough) to see the doctor (45%); the patient did not think that the trouble of seeing a doctor was worth the effort (23%); the patient had no time to see the doctor (12%), and the patient did not want to pay high medical costs (15%). Logistic regression results suggested that respondents tended to select self-medication if the illness was minor or short-term (less than seven days). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that more strict regulation on over-the-counter medicines may be required to reduce health risks related to self-medication. Targeted health education on the risks of self-medication should be considered.

Background: Although many studies have analyzed mental health problems in college students in China, the associations of mental health with individual and family circumstances, academic performance, and social support were rarely discussed. Objectives: The study aimed to determine the mental health status and its associated factors among college students in China. Methods: An online survey was conducted on 300 students selected through a cluster sampling strategy in a university in Hubei, China, tapping into sociodemographic characteristics of the participants, their mental health status measured by the modified Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), and social support measured by the Social Support Rating Scale. Multivariate linear regression models were established to identify predictors of the SCL-90 scores. Results: Mental health disorders were found in 8% of the respondents, with obsessive compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity and depression as the top three reported problems. Compared with the national population norms of university students in 2014, our study participants had higher scores in SCL-90. There were statistically significant difference in the Global Severity index (GSI) and all nine subscales scores (p<0.05). Poorer self-rated health, higher study pressure, and lower social support were significant predictors of higher SCL-90 scores (p<0.05) after adjustment for variations in other variables. Conclusions: College students in Hubei, China may experience a range of different mental health problems, which are associated with their individual, study, and social circumstances.

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.

Objectives: Although the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and health is well documented, the contributions of physical exercise (PE) and social-psychological stress (SPS) to this association remain insufficiently understood. This study aimed to explore the mediating roles of PE and SPS in the relationship between SES and self-rated health (SRH). Methods: This study included 1,507 participants (aged ≥ 16 years) from the Health Survey conducted in Hubei Province during the post-pandemic period of 2021. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the mediating and interaction effects, with PE and SPS specified as mediators in the association between SES and SRH. Results: The average SES and SRH scores were 3.07 ± 1.12 and 2.93 ± 0.93, respectively. Significant pairwise correlations ( p < 0.05) were found among SES, PE, SPS and SRH. Low SES was associated with poorer SRH (β = 0.23), as were insufficient PE (β = 0.11) and higher SPS (β = –0.17). Both PE and SPS demonstrated significant mediating effects, accounting for 6.7% and 14.2% of the total impact of SES on SRH, respectively. The interaction between PE and SPS was statistically significant only among females ( p < 0.05). Conclusions: This study confirms that physical exercise and social-psychological stress play partial mediating roles in the association between SES and SRH. The findings suggest that limited physical exercise and higher levels of social-psychological stress may adversely affect health, particularly with low SES. Promoting healthy lifestyles and supportive social environments is therefore crucial for improving population health.