Nursing students: medication use, psychoactive substances and health conditions

to assess the use of nonprescription psychoactive medications and their associations with psychoactive substance use and health aspects among nursing students.

Method:

a cross-sectional study conducted with 182 students at a nursing school in the city of Vale do Ribeira, Brazil. Sociodemographic information, screening for alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, information on physical and mental health and physical activity practices were assessed.

Results:

more than half of the students (79.2%) used psychoactive drugs without prescription, with a predominance of monthly consumption. Consumption of these drugs was found to be associated with alcohol use, binge drinking, smoking and illicit drug use.

Conclusion:

the findings have implications for the implementation of health promotion strategies among nursing students, in view of lifestyle changes.

Descriptors:
Substance-Related Disorders; Students, Nursing; Health; Drug Utilization; Exercise

Variables	Medication use n (%)
	Yes	No	χ²
	144 (79.2)	38 (20.8)	p value
Gender
Female	110 (80.3)	27 (19.7)	χ²(1)=0.460
Male	34 (75.6)	11 (24.4)	p = 0.498
Age group
17 - 19	26 (78.8)	7 (21.2)	χ²(3)=2.738 p = 0.434
20 - 29	66 (75.9)	21 (24.1)
30 - 39	41 (87.2)	6 (12.8)
> 40 years	11 (73.3)	4 (26.7)
Marital status
Without a partnet	88 (79.3)	23 (20.7)	χ²(1)=0.004 p = 0.948
With a partner	56 (78.9)	15 (21.1)	χ²(1)=0.004 p = 0.948
Undergraduate course year
First	32 (86.5)	5 (13.5)	χ²(4)=9.927 p = 0.042^* * p value <0.05
Second	28 (65.1)	15 (34.9)
Third	29 (85.3)	5 (14.7)
Fourth	39 (86.7)	6 (13.3)
Fifth	16 (69.6)	7 (30.4)

Variables	Medication use n (%)
	Yes	No	χ²
	144 (79.2)	38 (20.8)	p value
Alcohol use
No	70 (88.6)	9 (11.4)	χ²(1)=7.605 p = 0.006^* * p value <0.05
Yes	74 (71.8)	29 (28.2)	χ²(1)=7.605 p = 0.006^* * p value <0.05
Binge drinking
No	82 (88.2)	11 (11.8)	χ²(1)=9.431 p = 0.002^* * p value <0.05
Yes	62 (69.7)	27 (30.3)	χ²(1)=9.431 p = 0.002^* * p value <0.05
Smoking
No	138 (80.7)	33 (19.3)	χ²(1)=4.280 p = 0.039^* * p value <0.05
Yes	6 (54.5)	5 (45.5)	χ²(1)=4.280 p = 0.039^* * p value <0.05
Nicotine Dependence (FTND)
Abstentions/ very low	139 (80.8)	33 (19.2)	χ²(2)=7.954 p = 0.019^* * p value <0.05
Low	3 (75.0)	1 (25.0)
Medium	2 (33.3)	4 (66.7)
Experimental use of illicit drugs
No	134 (82.2)	29 (17.8)	χ²(1)=9.011 p = 0.003^* * p value <0.05
Yes	10 (52.6)	9 (47.4)	χ²(1)=9.011 p = 0.003^* * p value <0.05

Variables	Medication use n (%)
	Yes	No	χ²
	144 (79.2)	38 (20.8)	p value
^ BMI: Body Mass Index BMI
< 19.1	11 (100.0)	--	χ²(3)=11.803 p = 0.008^* * p value <0.05;
19.2-27.3	98 (83.8)	19 (16.2)
27.4-32.3	22 (66.7)	11 (33.3)
> 32.4	10 (58.8)	7 (41.2)
Little interest or pleasure in performing daily activities
None	73 (83.9)	14 (16.1)	χ²(3)=9.576 p = 0.023^* * p value <0.05;
Any days	45 (78.9)	12 (21.1)
Half of the days	16 (84.2)	3 (15.8)
Lmost every day	10 (52.6)	9 (47.4)
Physical activity practice
No	78 (71.6)	31 (28.4)	χ²(2)=9.405 p = 0.002^* * p value <0.05;
Yes	66 (90.4)	7 (9.6)	χ²(2)=9.405 p = 0.002^* * p value <0.05;
Frequency of physical activity
Not applied	65 (70.7)	27 (29.3)	χ²(2)=8.823 p = 0.012^* * p value <0.05;
1 - 2 times	44 (84.6)	8 (15.4)
≥ 3 times	35 (92.1)	3 (7.9)
Intense exercise for at least 20 minutes a day. twice or more a week
No	67 (71.3)	27 (28.7)	χ²(1)=7.241 p = 0.007^* * p value <0.05;
Yes	77 (87.5)	11 (12.5)	χ²(1)=7.241 p = 0.007^* * p value <0.05;
Walking or cycling daily
No	30 (65.2)	16 (34.8)	χ²(3)=7.203 p = 0.007^* * p value <0.05;
Yes	114 (83.8)	22 (16.2)	χ²(3)=7.203 p = 0.007^* * p value <0.05;

Variables	Standard Error	p value	ORA (95% IC)
Intercept	0.2674	< 0.0001
Physical activity practice
Yes	0.4318	0.401	2.0 (0.380 - 11.213)
Frequency of physical activity
1 - 2 vezes	0.5777	0.604	1.7 (0.227 - 12.542)
≥ 3 vezes	0.3402	0.824	1.1 (0.338 - 3.971)
Intense exercise for at least 20 minutes a day, twice or more a week
Yes	0.2651	0.718	1.2 (0.428 - 3.421)
Walking or cycling daily
Yes	0.2060	0.079	2.0 (0.920 - 4.624)

Associação Brasileira de Enfermagem SGA Norte Quadra 603 Conj. "B" - Av. L2 Norte 70830-102 Brasília, DF, Brasil, Tel.: (55 61) 3226-0653, Fax: (55 61) 3225-4473 - Brasília - DF - Brazil
E-mail: reben@abennacional.org.br

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[1] Corresponding author: Bárbara de Oliveira Prado Sousa. E-mail: barbaraprado89@hotmail.com