The use of psychoactive substances among medical students in southern Brazil
MÁRCIO MANOZZO BONIATTI
Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil
Márcio Manozzo Boniatti, MD, Resident Physician, Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
CARLOS ZUBARAN
University of Caxias do Sul, Brazil
Department of Psychiatry, Whangarei Hospital, New Zealand
Carlos Zubaran, MD, PhD, Professor on Sabattical Leave, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Caxias do Sul, Brazil & Psychiatrist, Department of Psychiatry, Whangarei Hospital, New Zealand
Department of Psychiatry, Northland Health, Whangarei Hospital, Hospital Road, New Zealand. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorDANIEL PANAROTTO
University of Caxias do Sul, Brazil
Daniel Panarotto, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Endocrinology, Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Brazil
Search for more papers by this authorGERSON JACOB DELAZERI
Hospital Geral de Caxias do Sul, Brazil
Gerson Jacob Delazeri, MD, Resident Physician, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Hospital Geral de Caxias do Sul, Brazil
Search for more papers by this authorJACSON LUÍS TIRELLO
Hospital N. Sra. Conceição, Porto Alegre, Brazil
Jacson Luís Tirello, MD, Resident Physician, Department of Urology, Hospital N. Sra. Conceição, Porto Alegre, Brazil
Search for more papers by this authorMAURÍCIO DE OLIVEIRA FELDENS
Hospital Santa Casa de Misericórdia, Porto Alegre, Brazil
Maurício de Oliveira Feldens, MD, Resident Physician, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Hospital Santa Casa de Misericórdia, Porto Alegre, Brazil
Search for more papers by this authorVAGNER FRANCISCO REMONTI SPEROTTO
Hospital Geral de Caxias do Sul, Brazil
Vagner Francisco Remonti Sperotto, MD, Resident Physician, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Hospital Geral de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Brazil.
Search for more papers by this authorMÁRCIO MANOZZO BONIATTI
Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil
Márcio Manozzo Boniatti, MD, Resident Physician, Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
CARLOS ZUBARAN
University of Caxias do Sul, Brazil
Department of Psychiatry, Whangarei Hospital, New Zealand
Carlos Zubaran, MD, PhD, Professor on Sabattical Leave, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Caxias do Sul, Brazil & Psychiatrist, Department of Psychiatry, Whangarei Hospital, New Zealand
Department of Psychiatry, Northland Health, Whangarei Hospital, Hospital Road, New Zealand. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorDANIEL PANAROTTO
University of Caxias do Sul, Brazil
Daniel Panarotto, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Endocrinology, Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Brazil
Search for more papers by this authorGERSON JACOB DELAZERI
Hospital Geral de Caxias do Sul, Brazil
Gerson Jacob Delazeri, MD, Resident Physician, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Hospital Geral de Caxias do Sul, Brazil
Search for more papers by this authorJACSON LUÍS TIRELLO
Hospital N. Sra. Conceição, Porto Alegre, Brazil
Jacson Luís Tirello, MD, Resident Physician, Department of Urology, Hospital N. Sra. Conceição, Porto Alegre, Brazil
Search for more papers by this authorMAURÍCIO DE OLIVEIRA FELDENS
Hospital Santa Casa de Misericórdia, Porto Alegre, Brazil
Maurício de Oliveira Feldens, MD, Resident Physician, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Hospital Santa Casa de Misericórdia, Porto Alegre, Brazil
Search for more papers by this authorVAGNER FRANCISCO REMONTI SPEROTTO
Hospital Geral de Caxias do Sul, Brazil
Vagner Francisco Remonti Sperotto, MD, Resident Physician, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Hospital Geral de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Brazil.
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
The objective of our study was to investigate the patterns of use of psychoactive substances among students of a medical school in Southern Brazil and to explore a putative role of discrete behavioral and social variables in their drug use. This is a descriptive and transversal cut study. All regularly enrolled medical students at the University of Caxias do Sul were invited to participate in the study. A self-administered questionnaire, which analyses lifetime drug use as well as drug use in the previous 30 days and 12 months was utilized to collect data. From a total of 318 regularly enrolled students, 183 (57.5%) completed and returned the questionnaires. The highest prevalence rates of lifetime drug use, drug use in the last 12 months and drug use in the last 30 days were observed, according to drug type, as follow in descending order: alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, inhalants, tranquilizers, amphetamine and cocaine. A multivariate analysis indicated that research respondents who live with their parents as well as those whose parents live together harmoniously, those who deny close ties to drug users, those who disapprove drug use, those who are not tobacco smokers and those who manifest religious beliefs and practice presented the most reduced levels of illicit drug use. The use of psychoactive substances among medical students in the University of Caxias do Sul is a significant problem. Appropriate and timely initiatives are needed to prevent and curb drug use among medical students.
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