The objective of the present study was to investigate three kinds of health behaviors—treatment-seeking behavior during sickness, self-medication, and noncompliance of both prescription and over-the-counter drugs—of 1,809 nonmedical dorm students of Dhaka University and Jahangirnagar University, two public universities located in Dhaka and Savar, respectively, Bangladesh. In this study, decreased treatment cost and short duration of illness strongly correlated with self-medication incidences (p < .5). Noncompliance was found to be significantly more prevalent among those who were younger and newcomers to the dorms, of male gender, and those who were ill for short durations. Bangladesh government should recognize and enforce the distinction between prescription and nonprescription medicines and ensure that the users of self-medication are well informed and protected from its possible harm or long-term negative effects.
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