Table 1. Characteristics of the population (weighted data, n = 3023).

	Distribution in the population		Prevalence of self-medication
	n	%	%	p
Gender
Women	1602	53.0	55.3	0.076
Men	1421	47.0	51.5
Age (years)
18–39	1329	44.0	61.7	<0.001
40–59	1030	34.1	53.0
>60	664	22.0	38.0
Socioeconomic status
Education
None/Primary	297	9.8	36.1	<0.001
Secondary	1174	38.9	49.7
Post-secondary	1551	51.3	59.7
Income (monthly household income per consumption unit, euros)
<1000	650	21.5	45.2	<0.001
1000–1500	702	23.2	52.6
1500–2200	797	26.4	55.1
>2200	874	28.9	58.8
Employed or student
Yes	1919	63.5	60.0	<0.001
No	1101	36.5	42.0
Health information seeking (outside a medical consultation, in the past 3 years)
Researching information or advice on a medicine or a treatment
Yes	1034	34.3	64.4	<0.001
No	1980	65.7	47.7
Researching information or advice on an illness or a symptom
Yes	596	19.8	62.5	<0.001
No	2410	80.2	51.0
Researching information on healthcare news
Yes	663	22.0	60.6	<0.001
No	2357	78.0	51.4
Self-perceived susceptibility to disease
Becomes sick more easily than others
Agree	303	10.1	51.5	0.501
Disagree	2709	89.9	53.8
The body does not seem to resist very well to disease
Agree	377	12.6	51.2	0.388
Disagree	2623	87.4	53.9
Generally catches everything that lays around
Agree	562	18.7	60.7	0.001
Disagree	2445	81.3	51.9
Daily mobility (within or outside the neighborhood of residence (NR))
Where they usually go to the restaurant or to the café
Mainly within the NR	991	32.8	46.7	<0.001
Both within and outside the NR	616	20.4	54.8
Mainly outside the NR	1409	46.7	57.7
Where they usually go for a walk
Mainly within the NR	898	29.8	46.4	<0.001
Both within and outside the NR	1039	34.5	54.8
Mainly outside the NR	1072	35.6	58.5
Where they usually meet friends
Mainly within the NR	645	21.5	45.8	<0.001
Both within and outside the NR	1134	37.7	52.9
Mainly outside the NR	1228	40.8	58.0
Self-perceived health
General health
Very good/Good	2335	77.3	56.1	<0.001
Very poor/Poor/Fair	686	22.7	44.8
Physical health
Very good/Good	2316	76.7	56.0	<0.001
Very poor/Poor/Fair	704	23.3	45.6
Psychological health
Very good/Good	2330	77.2	54.6	0.046
Very poor/Poor/Fair	690	22.8	49.7
Chronic disease
Regular treatment or follow-up
Yes	1191	39.4	44.2	<0.001
No	1831	60.6	59.5
Chronic health condition
Yes	972	32.2	47.3	<0.001
No	2049	67.8	56.5
At least one disease among those listed over the last 12 monthsa
Yes	1695	56.1	51.9	0.101
No	1328	43.9	55.5
Social support
Someone you can count on
Yes	2864	94.7	54.4	<0.001
No	159	5.3	37.5
Household size (number of adults and children)
1	573	18.9	48.6	0.012
2–3	1468	48.6	52.8
>3	983	32.5	57.4
Mistrust in physicians
Physicians do not best know what is good for ill people
Agree	339	11.2	58.0	0.119
Disagree	2678	88.8	52.9
Victim or witness of a medical mistake (whole life)
Yes	618	20.4	58.8	0.013
No	2404	79.6	52.2
Health risk behaviors
Potential alcohol abuseb
Yes	465	15.4	61.8	0.001
No	2549	84.6	52
Current daily smoking
Yes	764	25.3	57.9	0.019
No	2258	74.7	52
Disease prevention
Dietary supplements, vitamins or minerals intake over the past 4 weeks
Yes	697	23.1	66.3	<0.001
No	2321	76.9	49.7
Others
Unmet healthcare needs due to economic reasons in the 12 last months
Yes	512	16.9	62.7	<0.001
No	2509	83.1	51.6
Medical science is not effective for all health problems
Agree	1483	49.3	57.5	<0.001
Disagree	1525	50.7	49.6

^a Asthma, allergy, diabetes, cataract, high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, rheumatoid arthritis, arthrosis, osteoporosis, gastric or duodenal ulcers, cancer, migraine, anxiety, depression, other disease

^b At least one “yes” response to the CAGE questionnaire