RT Journal Article
T1 Heavy drinking and non-medical use of prescription drugs among university students: a 9-year follow-up
A1 Busto Miramontes, Alicia
A1 Moure Rodríguez, Lucía
A1 Díaz Geada, Ainara
A1 Rodríguez Holguín, Socorro
A1 Corral Varela, María Montserrat
A1 Cadaveira Mahía, Fernando
A1 Caamaño Isorna, Francisco
K1 Substance abuse
K1 Pharmacoepidemiology
K1 University students
K1 Cohort
K1 Abuso de sustancias
K1 Farmacoepidemioloxía
K1 Estudantes universitarios
K1 Cohorte
AB Purpose: Investigations suggest non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) is associated with heavy drinking and polydrug use among university students. Our aim is to determine the prevalence of NMUPD among university students and to analyze its association with alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis use, and to study the role of the age of drinking onset. Methods: Cohort study among university Spanish students (n = 1382). Heavy drinking (HED) and risky consumption (RC) were measured with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Questions related to tobacco and cannabis consumption were also formulated. NMUPD refers to sedative, anxiety, or pain medication intake within the last 15 days without medical prescription. All variables were measured at 18, 20, and 27 years. Multilevel logistic regression for repeated measures was used to obtain adjusted OR (odds ratios). We analyzed the results from a gender perspective. Results: Prevalence of NMUPD were higher in students who already partook in NMUPD at the beginning of the study. NMUPD in women at 27 is 3 times higher than at 18, while in men it is twice. Among females, RC (OR = 1.43) and cannabis consumption (OR = 1.33) are risk factors for NMUPD, while later onset of alcohol use (OR = 0.66) constitutes a protective factor. No significant differences were found for males. Conclusions: NMUPD is prevalent among university students. RC and early onset of alcohol use were associated with higher prevalence of NMUPD in females. The prevalence of NMUPD increased with age in both sexes. Strategies for reducing risky drinking and delaying onset of drinking should be provided for university students. Pharmacists and parents should be alerted to the risk of NMUPD
PB MDPI
SN 1661-7827
YR 2019
FD 2019
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10347/19713
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10347/19713
LA eng
NO Busto Miramontes, A., Moure-Rodríguez, L., Díaz-Geada, A., Rodríguez Holguín, S., Corral, M., Cadaveira, F., Caamaño-Isorna, F. (2019). Heavy drinking and non-medical use of prescription drugs among university students: a 9-year follow-up. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16, 2939; doi:10.3390/ijerph16162939
NO Plan Nacional sobre Drogas (Spain) (2005/PN014) and Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (Spain) (PI15/00165)
DS Minerva
RD 22 abr 2026