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Concurrent Tobacco Use and Binge Drinking Among University Students in 30 Countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate concurrent tobacco use and binge drinking and the co-occurrence risks of each substance among university students in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. A cross-sectional survey of 24,753 university students, 58.6% women and 41.4% men, mean age of 20.8 years (SD = 2.6) from 30 countries, was conducted in 2013–2015. Five percent of the university students had engaged in concurrent tobacco use and binge drinking, 17.7% in binge drinking only, and 8.0% in current tobacco use only. Overall, among past month tobacco users, 32.1% were frequent binge drinkers, and among binge drinkers, 45.6% were frequent tobacco users. Compared to students who neither smoked nor were binge drinkers, concurrent tobacco users and binge drinkers were more likely to be men (OR = 3.09, CI = 2.55, 3.74), were older (OR = 2.00, CI = 1.56, 2.36), had a wealthier family background (OR = 1.60, CI = 1.30, 1.96), were living in an upper middle or high-income country (OR = 0.27, CI = 0.10, 0.72), used illicit drugs (OR = 3.16, CI = 2.64, 3.83), were gambling (OR = 2.41, CI = 1.91, 3.04), had been in a physical fight (OR = 2.08, CI = 1.67, 2.59), had sustained an injury (OR = 1.25, CI = 1.03, 1.50), and lacked involvement in organized religious activity (OR = 0.40, CI = 0.32, 0.52). Prevention and treatment strategies should better incorporate the comorbidity of tobacco and alcohol use in their intervention programs.

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Acknowledgments

The following colleagues participated in this student health survey, contributed to data collection and design of the study, and need to be considered co-authors (locations and names of universities in parentheses) Bangladesh: Gias Uddin Ahsan (Dhaka, North South University); Barbados: T. Alafia Samuels (Bridgetown, University of the West Indies); Cambodia: Khuondyla Pal (Phnom Penh, Royal University of Phnom Penh and Battambang, University of Battambang); Cameroon: Jacques Philippe Tsala (Yaounde, University of Yaounde I); China: Tony Yung and Xiaoyan Xu (Hong Kong, Chinese University of Hong Kong and Chengdu, Sichuan Normal University); Colombia: Carolina Mantilla (Pamplona, Universidad de Pamplona); Egypt: Alaa Abou-Zeid (Cairo, Cairo University); Grenada: Omowale Amuleru-Marshall (St. George, St. George’s University); India: Krishna Mohan (Visakhapatnam, Gitam University); Indonesia: Erna Rochmawati (Yogyakarta, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta), Indri Hapsari Susilowati (Jakarta, Universitas Indonesia); Ivory Coast: Issaka Tiembre (Abidjan, Université Félix Houphouët Boigny de Cocody); Jamaica: Caryl James (Kingston, University of the West Indies); Kyrgyzstan: Kyrgyz State Medical Academy); Laos: Vanphanom Sychareun (Vientiane, University of Health Sciences); Madagascar: Onya H Rahamefy (Antananarivo, University of Antananarivo); Malaysia: Wah Yun Low (Kuala Lumpur, University of Malaya); Mauritius: Hemant Kumar Kassean (Réduit, Moka, University of Mauritius); Myanmar: Hla Win (Yangon, University of Medicine 1); Namibia: Pempelani Mufune (Windhoek, University of Namibia); Nigeria: Solu Olowu (Ile-Ife, Obafemi Awolowo University); Pakistan: Rehana Rehman Aga Khan University Philippines: Alice Ferrer (Miagao, University of the Philippines Visayas); Russia: Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia; Singapore: Mee Lian Wong (Singapore, National University of Singapore); South Africa: Tholene Sodi and Shai Nkoana (Polokwane, University of Limpopo); Thailand: Niruwan Turnbull (Maha Sarakham, Mahasarakham University); Tawatchai Apidechkul (Chiang Rai, Mae Fah Laung University); Tunisia: Hajer Aounallah-Skhiri (Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar); Turkey: Neslihan Keser Özcan (Istanbul, Istanbul University); Venezuela: Yajaira M Bastardo (Caracas, Universidad Central de Venezuela); Vietnam: Thang Nguyen Huu (Hanoi, Hanoi Medical University).

Funding

Partial funding for this study was provided by the South African Department of Higher Education.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department for Management of Science and Technology Development, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Karl Peltzer

  2. Faculty of Pharmacy, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Karl Peltzer

  3. Department of Research and Innovation, University of Limpopo, Turfloop, Sovenga, 0727, South Africa

    Supa Pengpid

  4. ASEAN Institute for Health Development, Mahidol University, Salaya, Phutthamothon, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand

    Supa Pengpid

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  1. Karl Peltzer
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Correspondence to Karl Peltzer.

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All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000 (5). Informed consent was obtained from all participants for being included in the study.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Peltzer, K., Pengpid, S. Concurrent Tobacco Use and Binge Drinking Among University Students in 30 Countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Int J Ment Health Addiction 16, 164–174 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-017-9850-z

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