Risk factors for substance use: perception of student leaders

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the perceptions of student leaders of the undergraduate course in Nursing about the motivations and/or risk factors for substance use in the university environment. Method: qualitative, transversal, descriptive study developed in a university campus in the state of São Paulo. Thirty members of associations affiliated with the course in Nursing participated. A questionnaire and a semi-structured interview were used, and the information was subjected to content analysis. Results: the influence of the social environment was the central element in the results. The circumstances of the context, some conditions that favor the use of substances and the students’ expectations regarding their use were perceived as risk factors, among which the influence of friends (96%), curiosity and search for fun (93%) stood out. Final considerations: alternatives in the university context, in conjunction with student leaders, aimed at reducing the exposure to physical and psychological suffering, constitute important resources to prevent substance abuse.

A transformative and social marketing ecosystem investigation into drug use among young adults

“…Only one study examined this from a mesosystem perspective. This study examined motivations for substance use by interviewing and surveying student leaders (peers) identifying that search for fun (sensation seeking) motivated substance use (Balthazar et al , 2018).…”

Consumo De Álcool E Desempenho Acadêmico De Alunos Dos Anos Iniciais Da Graduação Em Enfermagem

“…Em relação a essas especificidades, os resultados indicaram que o maior consumo de álcool se deu entre os estudantes que moravam com amigos, sugerindo essa característica como um importante fator de risco, o que converge com estudos prévios. 8,14,24,25 Desse modo, é de suma importância que ações de sensibilização abordem a disseminação de orientações relacionadas à importância do uso moderado, os riscos da escalada do consumo, estratégias de redução de danos e a contenção dos demais fatores contextuais que possam contribuir para o uso como única opção de lazer ou como principal estratégia de enfrentamento do estresse. É mister que essas estratégias envolvam lideranças informais em repúblicas, ligas at léticas e eventos sociais de recepção de calouros.…”

“…[3][4][5] O uso abusivo de álcool entre universitários tem sido associado a comportamento sexual de risco, acidentes automobilísticos, violência, distrações e prejuízos acadêmicos, estresse, diminuição da cognição, problemas de saúde e, sobretudo, interferência na vida acadêmica. [6][7][8] Diversos estudos prévios têm realçado desempenho acadêmico insatisfatório quanto maior o consumo de bebidas alcoólicas. [9][10][11][12] Tais resultados têm sido evidenciados entre estudantes universitários da área de Ciências Humanas e Ciências Biológicas.…”

Factors associated with alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use among Brazilian undergraduate students

“…Regarding the lower chance of use of the three substances in the advanced campuses, these are usually younger than the main campuses and, possibly, the culture of "university fun", in which the use of psychoactive substances is frequent, has not yet influenced these environments so much. Among the motivations and/or risk factors for alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use in the university environment, the influence of the sociocultural environment (such as the influence of friends, curiosity, and the search for fun) has been shown to be a central element (28) .…”