Fig 1. Hypothesized path diagram of self-medication, n = 2872.

Ellipses: latent variables; boxes: observed variables. Arrows starting from the same explanatory variable are in the same color. For the sake of clarity, indicators of latent variables are not shown. Indicators of self-perceived health are general health, physical health and psychological health. Indicators of chronic disease are regular treatment or follow-up, chronic health condition and “at least one condition among those listed over the last 12 months” (see note in Table 1). Indicators of daily mobility are “where they usually meet friends”, “where they usually go for a walk” and “where they usually go to the restaurant, to the café”. Indicators of health seeking information are researching information or advice on an illness or a symptom, researching information on healthcare news and researching information or advice on a medicine or a treatment. Indicators of self-perceived susceptibility to disease are “You generally catch everything that lays around”, “You become ill more easily than others” and “Your body do not seem to resist very well to disease”.