University students' perceived norms of peers and drug use: a multicentric study in five Latin American countries

Authors

  • Inés V. Bustamante Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia; Facultad de Salud Pública y Administración Carlos Vidal Layseca
  • Ana Maria Pimenta Carvalho WHO; Centre for Nursing Research Development
  • Elias Barbosa de Oliveira Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro; Faculdade de Enfermagem
  • Hercilio Pereira de Oliveira Júnior Universidade de São Paulo; Faculdade de Medicina
  • Syntia Dinora Santos Figueroa Universidad Pedagógica Nacional Francisco Morazán
  • Erika Maria Montoya Vásquez Universidad de Antioquia; Facultad Nacional de Salud Pública
  • Angelica Cazenave Pontificia Universidad Católica; Centro de Estudios de Adicciones; Equipo de Adicciones
  • Eva Chaname Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia; Facultad de Enfermería
  • Luz Stella Medina Matallana Pontificia Universidad Javeriana; Facultad de Enfermería
  • Julia Ramirez Castillo Universidad de Concepción; Department of Nursing

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-11692009000700013

Keywords:

alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine

Abstract

This cross-sectional study compared perceived peer drug use and actual drug use in a sample of Latin American university students. Students from nine universities in five countries (Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Honduras and Peru) completed a questionnaire that addressed the use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and cocaine. Analysis focused on comparing perceptions to actual drug use. The findings largely, but not completely, confirmed the idea that students overestimate peer drug use. The unexpected findings were those relating to alcohol. While students generally overestimated peer use of tobacco, marijuana and cocaine, they accurately estimated or underestimated peer use of alcohol. Apart from the anomalous findings with regard to alcohol, this study shows that perceived drug use relates to actual drug use in Latin America as it does elsewhere. The results also support the suggestion that interventions using normative feedback would be useful to strengthen drug use prevention programs aimed at youth in Latin America.

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Published

2009-01-01

Issue

Section

Original Articles

How to Cite

University students’ perceived norms of peers and drug use: a multicentric study in five Latin American countries. (2009). Revista Latino-Americana De Enfermagem, 17(spe), 838-843. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-11692009000700013