Self-Medication and Cyberchondria among Adults at Community Health Centres, Kanchipuram, India: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Self-medication is common and is a contributing factor to inappropriate use of medicines, while cyberchondria, excessive searching for health information online, may further encourage unsupervised treatment practices. Our research attempts to determine the prevalence and patterns of self-medication and to evaluate the association of sociodemographic factors and cyberchondria with self-medication practices among adults attending community health centers of a tertiary care hospital in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. Methodology: From October to December 2025, 425 participants (≥18 years old) who were chosen by systematic random sampling participated in a cross-sectional survey. A pre-tested structured questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, self-medication behaviors during the previous three months, and the 12-item Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS 12) were used to gather data. Results: Of the 425 participants, 224 (52.7%) said they were ill, and 172 (40.5%) said they self-medicated, mostly with allopathic medications (89.5%). The average CSS-12 score was 24.03 ± 10.81. 62 (14.6%) of the individuals had CSS-12 scores between 37 and 60. Individuals who scored between 37 and 60 on the CSS-12 were more likely to self-medicate (AOR 4.58, 95% CI 2.4-8.73; p <0.001). Conclusions: Higher CSS-12 scores were significantly correlated with the prevalence of self-medication.