Objective:

To build and validate an instrument to investigate the knowledge, attitudes and practices of Brazilian university students about self-medication.

Method:

Methodological study carried out at a public university in the center of western Minas Gerais, Brazil. A committee of judges assessed clarity, relevance and comprehensiveness and the pre-test carried out with a target audience to assess understanding and acceptability. The content validity index (CVI) was used to assess the proportion of agreement and Cronbach's alpha coefficient (a) to measure reliability.

Results:

The instrument consisted of 38 items divided into three sections: characterization of participants (13 items); knowledge and practices of self-medication (3 items); and beliefs and attitudes (22 items). The mean CVI for all sections of the instrument was 0.97 and the Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the beliefs and attitudes section >0.70.

Conclusion:

The instrument was considered valid to assess knowledge, practice, beliefs and attitudes about self-medication in university students.