Alcohol consumption among South Fluminense medical students - RJ

Abstract

Alcohol is one of the main causes of global suffering, being a common practice among college students. Objective: we aimed to estimate the prevalence of alcohol consumption and the influence of gender and school year among medical students in Volta Redonda, RJ. Methods: A validated questionnaire (AUDIT) was used to identify alcohol-related problems in 265 students. Logistic regression analysis was used. Results: The prevalence of alcohol consumption was 81.1%. The habit of drinking in the first semester (60%) in both genders increased along the course (p = 0.012). Episodic heavy drinking practice (EHD) was higher in men when compared to women (p = 0.01). Men present a 130% higher chance of harmful alcohol consumption than women (p = 0.00). The group with harmful consumption had a 640% higher chance of not fulfilling the usual tasks and 110% greater of participating in a physical aggression (p = 0.00). Discussion: Our results are consistent with the literature and show a notable consumption of alcohol in medical students, being worrying both concerning frequency and volume. Conclusion: There is need to incorporate education programs and prevention of alcohol use among medical students.