Fatores associados à prática do binge drinking entre estudantes da área da saúde

Effect of an Online Intervention on Nursing Students' Alcohol Consumption and Social Support

OBJECTIVE

This research aimed to evaluate the impact of custom-developed software on nursing students' alcohol consumption and perception of social support.

METHOD

A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 88 students in the early years of nursing courses at a Brazilian public university. The members of the intervention group (n = 40) participated in a lecture delivered by a nurse and used online software developed based on cognitive behavioral techniques and social skills training. The members of the control group (n = 48) participated only in the lecture. Data on alcohol consumption profiles and social support characteristics were collected. Descriptive statistics, an analysis of variance test, and the Dunnett's test were utilized for data analysis.

RESULTS

Alcohol consumption decreased in both groups without significant differences between them. However, in terms of frequency of use, binge drinking, and the number of drinks consumed, a significant decrease occurred among participants in the intervention group. Regarding social support, both groups showed an increase in satisfaction with support and a decrease in the number of supporters. This reduction was less pronounced in the intervention group than in the control group.

CONCLUSION

This investigation presents relevant results that suggest the potential of using online technologies as supplemental materials for promoting students' mental health.

The perceived impact that alcohol policy could have on Brazilian and British students' pre-drinking behaviour

BACKGROUND

Evidence on how pre-drinking (i.e., drinking in private or in unlicensed settings before going out) varies across cultures and its implications for defining policies and prevention strategies is needed. We explored the perceived impact that various alcohol policies could have on pre-drinking practices amongst Brazilian and British students that pre-drink.

METHODS

A cross-sectional, online survey amongst student drinkers aged 18-29 in England (N = 387) and Brazil (N = 1,048) explored sociodemographic, pre-drinking habits, and attitudes towards alcohol policies (increasing prices, regulating availability, and restricting promotions).

RESULTS

A greater proportion of British students were aged between 18 and 21 years old (67.2%) than Brazilian students (45.2%; p < 0.001). More British (ENG 85.8%) than Brazilian (BRA 44.8%, p < 0.001) students reported pre-drinking. Pre-drinkers' main motivation was to save money (BRA 66.5%, ENG 46.2%, p < 0.001). In multivariate analyses, in Brazil, male (Odds Ratio [OR]: 1.53, CI: 1.04-2.24) and white (OR: 1.60, CI: 1.03-2.49) pre-drinkers were more likely to believe that increasing prices policies could reduce their pre-drinking habits. In Brazil, white pre-drinkers (OR: 1.86, CI: 1.10-3.15) were more likely to believe that restricting alcohol promotions policies could reduce their pre-drinking habits. Regarding the perceived impact that the combined alcohol policies could have on students' pre-drinking practice, only in Brazil there were significant statistical results.

CONCLUSIONS

Whilst in Brazil none of the investigated alcohol policies are currently implemented, more Brazilian pre-drinkers believed that such legislation could reduce their pre-drinking practices (when compared with British pre-drinkers). These data may help legislators and stakeholders to better understand the characteristics of a more acceptable alcohol policy amongst university students.

The habit of drinking and driving in Brazil: National Survey of Health 2013 and 2019

OBJECTIVE

To assess factors associated with the habit of drinking and driving and estimating the variations in the prevalence of this behavior in 2013 and 2019, considering information from the two editions of the Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde (PNS - National Survey of Health).

METHODS

PNS is a nationwide cross-sectional home-based study. In 2013 and 2019, 60,202 and 85,854 individuals were interviewed, respectively. To assess the association between the indicator "drinking and driving" and the study variables, crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were estimated using logistic regression models. To compare the prevalence between the studied years, a Pearson's chi-squared test adjusted by the Rao-Scott correction (which considers the effect of the sampling plan) and converted into an F statistic, tested at a 5% significance level, was used.

RESULTS

The prevalence of drinking and driving was higher among men in 2013 (27.4%; 95%CI 25.6-29.3%) and 2019 (20.5%; 95%CI 19.4-21.7%) than among women (11.9%; 95%CI 9.9-14.2% and 7.2%; 95%CI 6.7-9.0%, respectively). Inidviduals aged 30 to 39, who lived without a partner, in rural areas, and were motorcycle drivers had significantly higher estimates. Men with higher income had higher prevalence of drinking and driving. From 2013 to 2019, the act of drinking and driving significantly decreased. Regarding traffic accidents, ORs were significant (p < 0.01) in the studied years for both men and women.

DISCUSSION

Results show the need to continue policies to monitor blood alcohol level and traffic education, with specific actions directed to rural areas and motorcycle drivers.

O consumo de bebida alcoólica e o binge drink entre os graduandos de Medicina de uma Universidade de Minas Gerais

RESUMO Objetivos O estudo objetivou verificar o padrão de consumo de bebidas alcoólicas e a presença do beber pesado episódico (BPE) entre os estudantes de Medicina de uma universidade do centro-oeste de Minas Gerais. Métodos Trata-se de um estudo transversal, exploratório e descritivo, realizado com 202 graduandos do curso de Medicina de uma universidade do centro-oeste de Minas Gerais. A coleta de dados foi realizada no primeiro semestre de 2015, com a utilização de um questionário sociodemográfico e do questionário Audit. O tratamento estatístico dos dados foi realizado com a utilização da análise bivariada, por meio do teste qui-quadrado ou do teste de Fisher e de modelos multivariados de regressão logística. Resultados Observou-se que o álcool é utilizado por 76,6% dos estudantes pesquisados, e 53,7% praticavam o BPE. O consumo de bebidas alcoólicas teve associação significativa com a idade e o fato de não morar com a família e estar acima do terceiro ano de graduação. O BPE, por sua vez, esteve associado com o sexo masculino e com o fato de não morar com a família. Conclusões Este trabalho mostrou que o consumo de álcool entre os estudantes de Medicina é maior do que o da população geral e que a prática do BPE possui alta prevalência nesse grupo. Idade, não morar com a família e período mais avançado do curso foram associados a maior consumo de álcool. Ser do sexo masculino e não morar com a família se associaram a maior risco de BPE.

Alcohol consumption and factors associated with binge drinking among female university students of health area

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the pattern of alcohol consumption and the prevalence and factors associated with binge drinking among university students of health-related courses in Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed of 865 female students from two universities in the Brazilian Northeast. The instruments used were the AUDIT and a questionnaire used to collect sociodemographic data. The chi-square test and logistic regression were used, with statistical significance set at p-value < 0.05. Results: Risky alcohol consumption was evidenced in 16.4%, while the prevalence of binge drinking was 48.0%. Binge drinking was strongly associated with drunk driving (OR = 12.24) and living in a conflicting family environment (OR = 6.33). Binge drinking was a constant in students who engaged in fights, those who had problems with the law and among smokers. Conclusion: The high prevalence of risky alcohol consumption, binge drinking and the association of these with risky behaviors in students serve to guide future public policies on prevention.

Perfil do consumo de álcool e prática do beber pesado episódico entre universitários brasileiros da área da saúde

RESUMO Objetivo Identificar entre os universitários da área da saúde de uma universidade brasileira a prevalência, o perfil do consumo de álcool e a prática do beber pesado episódico (BPE). Métodos Estudo transversal, quantitativo, com amostra randomizada dos universitários dos 12 cursos da saúde. Foram aplicados questionários individualizados, em formulário eletrônico, utilizando a escala AUDIT, após consentimento informado. Foi realizada análise estatística descritiva e inferencial. Resultados Entre os 619 estudantes selecionados, a prevalência de consumo de álcool foi de 85%, com perfil do consumo de baixo risco (77,1%). Consumo nocivo e provável dependência foram detectados em 2,7%. A prática do BPE foi de 51,6%, quase o dobro em comparação com outros estudos. As características que mais se associaram ao consumo de álcool foram: ser solteiro, do sexo masculino e frequentar festas semanalmente. Conclusão O consumo de álcool é elevado entre os estudantes avaliados, embora a maioria esteja no perfil de baixo risco. Contudo, fica evidente a necessidade de ações educativas para a promoção da saúde do estudante, visando à redução e ao consumo consciente de bebidas alcoólicas.