Misuse of analgesics among adolescents: A cross-sectional study from Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT Background: Analgesic misuse among adolescents is an emerging public health concern in Saudi Arabia, yet evidence remains limited. Aims: This study assessed its prevalence, patterns, and related demographic factors among adolescents in Madinah, as well as their sources of information and preferred awareness methods. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among adolescents aged 13–19 years in Madinah between August and November 2024. Analgesic misuse was defined as sharing, purchasing without prescription, overdosing, or using expired drugs. Data were analyzed using SPSS v23 with P < 0.05 considered significant. Results: Among 180 participants, 81% reported at least one misuse behavior, mainly sharing (89%), overdosing (83%), and using expired analgesics (74%). Misuse was significantly associated with older age, female gender, higher academic level, and lower parental education. Healthcare professionals and parents were key information sources, whereas school programs and government initiatives were preferred prevention methods. Conclusions: Analgesic misuse is alarmingly prevalent among Saudi adolescents and influenced by age, gender, academic level, and parental education. Comprehensive awareness efforts, through government programs, healthcare-led counseling, and better parental education, are urgently required to curb this menace. Large-scale, multicenter studies are warranted to better characterize this problem and to devise well-targeted, mass-scale awareness programs and policy interventions.