Abstract
Aim
Estimate the prevalence of the abuse of legal and street drugs and associated factors among university students.
Subjects and methods
Three hundred ninety-eight university students distributed among all courses offered at a university in Brazil. The students answered a questionnaire validated for the evaluation of drug use. The dependent variable was abuse of legal and street drugs. Descriptive analysis was performed, followed by Poisson regression analysis (p < 0.05).
Results
The following variables remained associated with the abuse of legal drugs: male sex (PR = 2.99; 95% CI: 1.74–5.14), lack of religion (PR = 1.64; 95%CI: 1.03–2.62) and taking night classes (PR = 1.64; 95% CI: 1.04–2.58). The abuse of street drugs was associated with lack of religion (PR = 2.50; 95% CI: 1.01–6.15).
Conclusion
The male sex and taking classes at night were associated with the abuse of legal drugs, whereas not having a religion was associated with the abuse of both legal and street drugs.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Al-Sayed AA, Al-Rashoudi AH, Al-Eisa AA, Addar AM, Al-Hargan AH, Al-Jerian AA, Al-Omair AA, Al-Sheddi AI, Al-Nowaiser HI, Al-Kathiri AO, Al-Hassan AH (2014) Sedative drug use among King Saud University medical students: a cross-sectional sampling study. Depress res Treat 2014:378738. doi:10.1155/2014/378738
Araújo DF, Almondes KM (2012) Sleep quality and its relationship with academic performance in college students of different shifts. PSICO 43:350–359
Backes DS, Zanatta FB, Costenaro RS, Rangel RF, Vidal J, Kruel CS, Mattos KM (2014) Risk indicators associated with the consumption of illicit drugs by schoolchildren in a community in the south of Brazil. Cien Saude Colet 19:899–906. doi:10.1590/1413-81232014193.00522013
Bala N, Kaur G, Attri JP, Singh M, Thakur M, Jain P (2015) Psychiatric and anesthetic implications of substance abuse: present scenario. Anesth Essays res 9:304–309. doi:10.4103/0259-1162.161810
Chiapetti N, Serbena CA (2007) Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs used by students of health services from a University in Curitiba. Psicol Reflex Crit 20:303–313. doi:10.1590/S0102-79722007000200017
Eckschmidt F, Andrade AG, Oliveira LG (2013) Comparison of drug use between Brazilian and American college students and young Brazilian general population. J Bras Psiquiatr 62:199–207. doi:10.1590/S0047-20852013000300004
França C, Colares V (2008) Comparative study of health behavior among college students at the start and end of their courses. Rev Saude Publica 42:420–427. doi:10.1590/S0034-89102008000300005
Frankfort-Nachimias C, Nachimias D (1992) Research methods in the social sciences. Arnold, London
Gomes FC, Andrade AG, Izbicki R, Moreira-Almeida A, Oliveira LG (2013) Religion as a protective factor against drug use among Brazilian university students: a national survey. Rev Bras Psiquiatr 35:29–37. doi:10.1016/j.rbp.2012.05.010
Granville-Garcia AF, Sarmento DJ, Santos JA, Pinto TA, Sousa RV, Cavalcanti AL (2012) Smoking among undergraduate students in the area of health. Cien Saude Colet 17:389–396. doi:10.1590/S1413-81232012000200013
Granville-Garcia AF, Clementino MA, Gomes MNC, Firmino RT, Ribeiro GLA, MBLD S (2014) Alcohol consumption among adolescents: attitudes, behaviors and associated factors. Cien Saude Colet 19:7–16. doi:10.1590/1413-81232014191.1989
Hagos EG, Afeha GG, Berihu BA (2016) Prevalence of substance abuse among regular degree health science students in Sheba University College in Mekelle Town, Tigray-Ethiopia. J Neurosci Pract Rural 7:200–205. doi:10.4103/0976-3147.178670
Henrique IFS (2004) Validation of the Brazilian version of alcohol, smoking and substance involvement screening test (ASSIST). Rev Assoc med Bras 50:199–206. doi:10.1590/S0104-42302004000200039
Holt CL, Roth DL, Huang J, Clark EM (2015) Gender differences in the roles of religion and locus of control on alcohol use and smoking among African Americans. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 76:482–492. doi:10.15288/jsad.2015.76.482
Imai FI, Coelho IZ, Bastos JL (2014) Excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, and associated factors in a representative sample of undergraduate students from the Federal University of Santa Catarina, 2012: a cross-sectional study. Epidemiol Serv Saúde 23:435–446. doi:10.5123/S1679-49742014000300006
Lorant V, Nicaise P, Soto VE, D’Hoore W (2013) Alcohol drinking among college students: college responsibility for personal troubles. BMC Public Health 13:615. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-615
Mascarenhas MDM, Monteiro RA, Sá NNB, Gonzaga LAA, Neves ACM, Roza DL, Silva MMA, Duarte EC, Malta DC (2011) Epidemiologia das causas externas no Brasil: mortalidade por acidentes e violências no período de 2000 a 2009. In: Ministério da Saúde. Saúde Brasil 2010. Ministério da Saúde, Brasília, pp 225–249
Murphy JG, Dennhardt AA (2016) The behavioral economics of young adult substance abuse. Prev med 92:24–30. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.04.022
Nunes JM, Campolina LR, Vieira MA, Caldeira AP (2012) Alcohol consumption and binge drinking among health college students. Rev Psiq Clín 39:94–99. doi:10.1590/S0101-60832012000300005
Peuker AC, Fogaça J, Bizarro L (2006) Expectations and problematic drinking among college students. Psic Teor e Pesq 22:193–200. doi:10.1590/S0102-37722006000200009
Razali MM, Kliewer W (2015) Risk and protective factors for recreational and hard drug use among Malaysian adolescents and young adults. Addict Behav 50:149–156. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2015.06.022
Rueda Silva LVE, Malbergier A, Stempliuk VA, Andrade AG (2006) Fatores associados ao consumo de álcool e drogas entre estudantes universitários. Rev Saude Publica 40:280–288. doi:10.1590/S0034-89102006000200014
Sanceverino SL, Abreu JLC (2004) Epidemiologic aspects of drug use among 5th grade to 12th grade students in the city of Palhoça 2003. Cien Saude Colet 9:1047–1056. doi:10.1590/S1413-81232004000400025
Silva EC, Tucci AM (2016) Pattern of alcohol consumption in college students (freshmen) and gender differences. Temas Psicol 24:313–323. doi:10.9788/TP2016.1-21
Stempliuk VA, Barroso LP, Andrade AG, Niscatri S, Malbergier A (2005) Comparative study of drug use among undergraduate students at the University of São Paulo-São Paulo campus in 1996 and 2001. Rev Bras Psiquiatr 27:185–193. doi:10.1590/S1516-44462005000300006
Tahiraj E, Cubela M, Ljerka Ostojic L, Rodek J, Zenic N, Sekulic D, Lesnik B (2016) Prevalence and factors associated with substance use and misuse among Kosovar adolescents; cross sectional study of scholastic, familial-, and sports-related factors of influence. Int J Environ res Public Health 13:502. doi:10.3390/ijerph13050502
WHO ASSIST Working Group (2002) The alcohol, smoking and substance involvement screening test (ASSIST): development, reliability and feasibility. Addiction 97:1183–1194. doi:10.1046/j.1360-0443.2002.00185.x
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethical approval
All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
Informed consent
Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dantas, L.R., Gomes, M.C., de Lima, L.C.M. et al. Abuse of legal and street drugs among Brazilian university students. J Public Health 25, 645–651 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-017-0813-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-017-0813-4