OBJECTIVE:
to estimate excessive drinking and cigarette smoking prevalence and associated factors.
METHODS:
this was a cross-sectional study conducted in 2012 with a representative sample of 1,264 Federal University of Santa Catarina students. Smoking (use of 1+ cigarettes/day in the previous month), excessive drinking (8+ score, according to the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) and other factors were assessed with a self-completed questionnaire.
RESULTS:
32.5% (95%CI27.3-38.3) drank excessively and5.9% (95%CI 2.6-13.1) were smokers. Wealthier respondents and those attending Humanities/Social Sciences, Law, Philosophy and Education undergraduate courses were more likely to be excessive drinkers. Smokers were more frequent among students from the same undergraduate courses and among those entering university through traditional entrance examinations, when compared to those entering via equal opportunities policies.
CONCLUSION:
smoking was low, but excessive drinking was high, consistent with results found at other higher education institutions.
Alcohol-Related Disorders; Smoking; Students; Cross-Sectional Studies
