Heavy drinking and social and health factors in university students from 24 low, middle income and emerging economy countries

SOURCE: Community Mental Health Journal
OUTPUT TYPE: Journal Article
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2015
TITLE AUTHOR(S): K.Peltzer, S.Pengpid
KEYWORDS: DRINKING BEHAVIOUR, HEALTH, RISK BEHAVIOUR, SOCIAL CONDITIONS, STUDENTS (COLLEGE)
DEPARTMENT: Public Health, Societies and Belonging (HSC)
Print: HSRC Library: shelf number 8975
HANDLE: 20.500.11910/1652
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/1652

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate heavy drinking and social and health correlates in university students in low, middle income and emerging economy countries. Using anonymous questionnaires, data were collected in a cross-sectional survey of 17,590 undergraduate university students (mean age 20.8, SD 2.9) from 25 universities in 24 countries across Asia, Africa and the Americas. Overall, 71.6 % were non-drinkers, 17.1 % moderate and 11.3 % heavy alcohol drinkers (14.2 % in men and 9.2 % in women) in the past 2 weeks. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, older age, poorer family background, living in a higher income country, weak beliefs in the importance of limiting alcohol use, higher country per capita alcohol consumption, other substance use (tobacco and illicit drug use), and poor life satisfaction was associated with heavy drinking. Addressing health beliefs and co-occurring addictive behaviors may be crucial in the prevention of heavy drinking in this population.