BACKGROUND: Alcohol abuse, even occasionally, among college students has the potential to pose a major public health problem. OBJECTIVES: To identify the prevalence of alcohol consumption among health college students as well as the prevalence and factors associated with binge drinking in this population. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with a representative sample of health college students of a public university in the North of Minas Gerais, Brazil. A structured questionnaire, including questions validated for self-assessment, which ensured confidentiality of responses, was used. The association between variables was examined using the chi-square test, assuming a significance level of 5% (p < 0.05). The magnitude of the association was measured with the prevalence ratio (PR). RESULTS: Four hundred and seventy-four questionnaires were analyzed. The prevalence of drinking alcoholic beverages among the sample of the study was 71.5% (n = 339) and the one of binge drinking 15.6% (n = 74). Male sex (PR = 2.44, 95% CI 1.59 to 3.73) and not reporting a religious affiliation (PR = 2.29, 95% CI 1.28 to 4.09) were significantly associated with the practice of binge drinking. DISCUSSION: The observed rates of alcohol consumption and binge drinking are significantly high and require specific strategies from managers of educational institutions to get this problem under control.
Alcohol drinking; students; health occupations; epidemiology
